Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

Absolutely obsessed! A Tangled Magic is a dark retelling of Rapunzel that completely conquered me from start to finish. First thing I need to say is that the characters felt so alive and real, especially the protagonist, Netta. Watching her navigate a world she doesn’t know, where she has no clue who she can trust, was so gripping, and the level of introspection and self-reflection she goes through was just amazing. Patrick was lovely too, even when he was making the "wrong choices."

The magic system was honestly wild. I love the whole concept of having to sacrifice a piece of yourself to get something back—like a payment. ||The fact that the sacrifice has to be a literal part of your body|| gave the story that perfect sparkle of darkness and horror that I always love in a book. The world building was elaborated but not difficult to understand, and I do love politics and intrigues.

I also really enjoyed the writing style. The descriptions were totally accurate and the dialogues were sublime. I absolutely did not expect that ending, and I ended up devouring the last 30% of the book in a single sitting.

Oh, and Baldbeak is my favorite character—you'll understand why when you read it.

I wonder if it’s an endless loop...

Wuthering Heights is a story of tormented emotions and the people controlled by them.

It’s a book that tortures and exhausts you just as the characters within its pages torture and exhaust one another and themselves.

That’s all my brain can put down at the moment.

If I have to use one word to describe this book, it would be cute, those two together are really cute... BUT...

Everything started great, the "hate", the tension, the get to know each other, until... they touched, and when they did the spark died. I do not have problems with spicy books, I love spicy books but the way the spicy was described here, and how it happen was, kinda cringe I'll say.

I liked how the traumas from the previous experiences were treated but gosh a bit more communication would have save us from this annoying and predictable back and forth. Same goes for her disability and other social factors.

Fortunately, in the end we go back to that good start and sweet vibes.

This was technically my second time reading this, but to be honest, I count it as my first real read.

I understood it much better this time around. I finally see why it’s considered such a classic and why it’s so famous. The way the story uses animals to show how power works is really smart.

However, for me, it’s just not at the same level as 1984. While it’s a great book and very clear with its message, it didn't hit me as hard or feel as terrifyingly personal as 1984 did. Still, it’s a solid read that everyone should probably check out at least once.