I’ll admit historical fiction is a little bit outside my comfort zone, but I couldn’t resist a story with magic told in such a beautiful, rich setting. I loved how historical figures, like the Medici family, were woven in seamlessly and I thought the author did a great job making the setting feel immersive through descriptions of the cities, the people, and even the food. In terms of the story itself, I found the overall direction of the plot really interesting and fun to read.

However, there were a couple things that stopped Graceless Heart from being a new favorite.

I was disappointed in our FMC Ravenna. She is a sculptress caught between two warring factions who both want to use her magic. She should have had the leverage to be the strongest, most strategic character in the book, yet Ravenna remains frustratingly indecisive throughout the book and it’s unclear who’s side she’s on. We’re in her POV for most of the book, so it was odd she didn’t seriously wrestle with that decision. She felt very helpless and YA. I think a story where she’s able to uncover more about her power, make a clear decision on who to work with on her own, and connect her personal motivations to the larger political machinations would have made for a much stronger, compelling adult fantasy. As is, a lot of the plot felt like getting herself out of a mess of her own making due to her indecision.

Secondly, I was not buying the romance between Ravenna and our mysterious immortal MMC, Saturnino. There were some moments with longing and tension, but their love felt abrupt and I wished there was more of a gradual build up. There were attempts to build a connection between them but many of these deeper conversations felt contrived and out of place. As a side note, this book has the most bizarrely placed "good girl" scene ever, and I couldn't help thinking of that awkward scene every time our MCs were together.

I’d recommend this if you want a fast paced story with a richly described historical setting or a satisfying standalone fantasy that neatly ties up by the end of the book. However, if you’re interested in this for the romance or a strong FMC, I think there are better books out there to choose from.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books for the ARC!

I was nervous about where this story would go after how Your Knife, My Heart ended. I'm not the biggest fan of the memory loss trope. In fact, I hate it. And one of my chief complaints about the first book was that the romance dominated the plot and it felt like we were going in circles, so I was really hoping for more action other than the romance.

I was pleasantly surprised with the direction this book went in. The romance is still the central storyline, but we get a lot of action with characters and conflicts from the first book and finally get answers about Avery's past that were introduced previously. The pacing was also great. I was relieved that the memory loss didn't drag on from beginning to end, and even when Avery didn't have her memories, the plot was still moving forward around her and keeping me engaged.
On the romance front, Cameron and Avery's relationship was really sweet, though it's nothing to write home about. I loved seeing their development between the two books, and their romantic arc feels satisfying.

My main complaint is that we're left with too many open questions at the end. As far as I know, My Blade, Your Back is the conclusion of the Dark Forces Duet, but we're missing key context and backstory on a character who became the puppetmaster in this story. So while the plot was interesting, I have no idea why it ended the way it did, and overall, the plot didn't really make that much sense.

I'll continue reading K.M. Moronova's books, especially when I need a palate cleanser between my usual fantasy reads. Definitely recommend this series if you're looking for a quick, fun military romance!

This review was difficult to write because nothing I say will truly capture everything I felt reading Daggermouth. It’s so much more than just good characters, a great romance, and an action-packed plot. It’s a story of how resistance, grit, hope, and love can exist in unexpected places. It’s the type of book that will stick with me for a long, long time.

Before I get too far into this review, this book features graphic scenes and plenty of triggers. Definitely check the content warnings before reading.

Gosh, I could go on and on because there were so many standout parts to this book, but I’ll focus on my two favorite things: the characters and the romance.

The characters were really well-developed and nuanced. In addition to our two main characters, we had a handful of side characters from different social statuses and classes. The diverse cast of characters show how harm caused by systems of oppression cuts across wealth and status. In a lot of stories, the relationship between power and wealth or class gets often flattened into rich equals evil, while the poor and working class are victims. The author used the characters to show that everyone is suffering under one despicable despot, and what keeps him in power is them fighting each other instead of him. It's an especially powerful lesson for today's world.

This same dynamic plays out in the romance as well. At its core, Shadera and Greyson's story is about finding love in a world that is doing everything to pit them against each other. Greyson’s father executed Shadera’s parents and Greyson now plays the role of executioner. Shadera’s Daggermouths killed Greyson’s brother. Throughout the story, they realize they were both just another cog in the machine that keeps Greyson’s father in power. Their relationship often feels like two steps forward, one step back because they are slowly discovering they are more similar than they are different. It's probably the most believable enemies-to-(maybe) lovers I’ve seen and one of my new favorite slow burn romances.

This is the dystopian romance I’ve been waiting for, and perhaps my favorite book of the year. Consider putting this on your TBR if you want a real slow-burn enemies-to-lovers or an unputdownable dystopian story that will leave you guessing the entire time. Highly recommend!

Reading this was a little bit like watching a show with a staticky TV. Buried beneath our FMC’s nonstop internal dialogue, questions, and slow pacing, was a good story with a solid plot, but it was really hard to enjoy because of the constant noise in the writing and storytelling.

When I picked this up, I was prepared for a five star story and I’ll admit that it delivered in some regards. While the story does pull in some commonly used tropes, it also has wild twists, a great balance of romance and plot, and solid yearning. The side characters made for great villains, allies, and some delivered jaw dropping betrayals. There is even a cute little monster companion.

Strangely enough, I was both totally intrigued by the story but also thinking about DNFing for most of the book.

The first thing that immediately jumped out to me is the constant barrage of questions, rhetorical or not, from the FMC. The author uses questions as a world-building crutch disguised as a personality quirk to either deliver pieces of the world-building or move the story along. I actually really appreciate Q&A world-building, but every few paragraphs, there would be an entire paragraph consisting only of questions. It was relentless and I began to loathe both the writing and the FMC.

In terms of pacing, the story started to feel like a timeloop after the first 30%. Things were happening but, instead of moving the story forward, the events made the plot circle itself in a way that felt like stalling. Later in the book, there were some big, shocking reveals that I feel like we brushed over way too quickly. It would have been nice for Odessa to work through this tension longer because it would have made the story way more believable and satisfying.

Despite all this, I somewhat enjoyed Shield of Sparrows and will still be reading the second book. The ending surprised me and I just need to find out what happens next. Definitely pick this up if you are looking for a story with court politics, hidden identities and secrets, and an interesting twist on the forced marriage trope.