Wow.

Just wow.

This book was worth the wait. I have had this book on my TBR since the beginning of the year, always promising that I would read it. I had it on my Summer TBR and then pushed it to my Harvest reads. I wish I had read this book much earlier.

As a child, Elspeth had an infection—an infection inflicted upon the town's people from a curse created by the Spirit of the Wood. Long ago, the Spirit of the Wood gave great power to the Shepherd King, who in turn, created seventy tarot-like cards that carried with it great magic.

The Black Horse - mastering combat.
The Golden Egg - great wealth.
The Prophet - to see the future.
The White Eagle - courage.
The Maiden - appearance changes to one of beauty
The Chalice - something like a truth serum.
The Well - shows enemies.
The Iron Gate - peace despite the situation
The Scythe - to control others
The Mirror - invisibility.
The Nightmare - something similar to telepathy.
The Twin Alders - the ability to speak to the Spirit of the Woods

These cards would cause a rift between the Spirit of the Woods and the Shepherd King causing the lands to be cursed and a toxic mist to settle around the border, eating up the lands.

There's something about the combination of magic, adventure, and love that captivates my imagination like nothing else. The way a well-written fantasy romance weaves together fantastical elements with intense emotions and deep connections between characters is truly enchanting.

In these stories, I find myself completely immersed in a world unlike any other. Whether it be a kingdom ruled by a powerful mage or a hidden realm inhabited by mystical creatures, the setting serves as a backdrop for the blossoming romance to unfold. The richly imagined details and vivid descriptions paint a picture so vivid that I can almost feel the magic pulsating through the pages.

This was one of those books that had me hooked from the first page until the last. I was caught up in Elspeth's story. I wanted to know her history, the cards, and the creature that had crawled into her head.

The cliffhanger. You cannot just toss out that little nugget and expect me to not fall off the couch, which by the way, I did. I fell and cried. I have book two on my reading TBR and it just might be pushed to next month because I need to know what is going on.

And, of course, the romance itself is a thing of beauty. It is more than just a fleeting attraction or a simple love story. It is a connection that defies all odds, a bond that transcends time and space. It is a love that is as epic as the world in which it unfolds. The romance of this book just fell a bit flat. I don't know why but I could not feel the connection between our two main leads.

Final Thought:

In the end, this book was definitely well worth picking up. The storyline, with its usage of a tarot-like system, is quite interesting. ( )

Absolutely wonderful! So dark and twisty but with a hint of romance. I cannot wait for book 2 and to see what happens next! ( )

If the world-building and characters had been just a little deeper, this would have easily been a 5-star book for me. (Also, I wish it was slightly more adult and less YA...) ( )

3.75

watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@starkissedstories

I almost gave this 4 stars but it wasn't quite there.
The premise of the book is cool (I'm a ho for tarot so I loved the deck angle), something different. I called who the nightmare was pretty much straight out the gate - but I'm still interested to find out more - (I really wanted her to touch all the cards).
The romance was ok - I prefer a bit more flirtation and tension before the big bang tho.
The writing is ok, but I find the pace a touch slow.
I will continue on with the series. ( )

nope, not for me. gothic fairy tale-type setting, with stock characters, a not very interesting magic of cards and very little happening in the plot. it's not well written and there's a whole lot of the lore of the story expressed in very bad doggerel, endlessly repeated. the last few pages flip the point of view in a way that might point to something more original in the second book of the series, but i had so little desire to finish this first book that i am totally not tempted to continue. too bad, but these are all problems that are supposed to be worked out before publication. ( )