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This is the story of Hazel, a young healer navigating a ruthless court to save the life of the king, grappling with a pantheon of gods with questionable agendas as she fights for agency and true love in her own life as the goddaughter of none other than Death himself. All gifts come with a price. Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive. When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick. But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death? From the astonishing mind of Erin A. Craig comes the breathtaking fairy tale retelling readers have been waiting for— what does a life well-lived mean, and how do we justify the impossible choices we make for the ones we love?
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it’s 4:30 at and I haven’t slept and the world is shitty right now but binging this book and having a nice therapeutic sob over the ending felt right. this will forever be a favorite author of mine no matter the story, do I see some of the predictability of the plot? sure. but the descriptions and overall writing and quotes hit so hard, I can in no way say I don’t love the characters or romance, I fucking love them every single time! this is different from her others, yes it’s still a retelling but it felt heavier on the fantasy than having more horror elements (but the body horror was grand) and this is said “romantasy” but it’s fantasy with a b plot romance that really doesn’t make the story it’s just a nice treat for me specifically. thank you erin a craig for this beautiful experience and reminder of the small moments that truly matter, I’m going to sleep now