Kristen’s Take: A Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

This book takes us on a ride through a world made up of humans, fae, and various other fantastical creatures where the fae magic system is based on power drawn from the color around them. This world is ruled by the Mother, a mysterious and ultra-powerful being who has held undisputed power for centuries and does so by binding her subjects’ magic to keep them from rising up against her. When Emelin discovers that she might be able to help bring the Mother down, she’s thrust into a world she never expected.

I really loved this book! The magic system was so unique and I appreciate being able to be surprised by a magic system these days. I've been kind of burnt out on the romantasy formula lately but this one pulled me right back in. I really liked Creon as a shadow daddy MMC and I appreciated Emelin as a FMC. She was your typical unaware, untrained human girl turned badass confident heroine but I found her to be quite likable. And their chemistry was 🔥

For a MMC who didn't speak, the banter was 10/10. And I really liked seeing Creon's character development build through other characters' perceptions of him (especially Lyn - there is clearly some deep history there). 

This is a 5-book series so I was mentally preparing for a long, drawn-out miscommunication trope, which is up there on the list of my least favorite tropes… without giving too much away, I’ll just say that I was happily surprised to see strong character growth and rational self-awareness from Emelin.

Bonus thought: Emelin’s relationship with the mountain/labyrinth was so cool and such a fun, unique addition to the book. I love when we can get a little character out of supposedly inanimate objects ;)

Throughout this book, I was reminded of elements from A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, and even a little bit of Zodiac Academy. If you’re looking for a fun, breezy romantasy read, this one is definitely for you. I have way too many books on my TBR right now but I'm pretty sure book 2 of this series (Lord of Gold and Glory) is going to make its way to the top of the list! 😉

Spice: 3/5

Vibes: 4.25/5