Synopsis:
This isn’t the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince.

It’s the one where she kills him.

Marra — a shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter — is relieved not to be married off for the sake of her parents’ throne. Her older sister wasn’t so fortunate though, and her royal husband is as abusive as he is powerful. From the safety of the convent, Marra wonders who will come to her sister’s rescue and put a stop to this. But after years of watching their families and kingdoms pretend all is well, Marra realizes if any hero is coming, it will have to be Marra herself.

If Marra can complete three impossible tasks, a witch will grant her the tools she needs. But, as is the way in stories of princes and the impossible, these tasks are only the beginning of Marra’s strange and enchanting journey to save her sister and topple a throne.

Review:
I was looking for something to read on the 15th while waiting for the next Emily Wilde book to come out and I have to say that I didn’t expect to be completely swept away to another world that I did not want to leave. Instantly we are transported to a world where Marra is set trying to do three impossible things while considering her worth and abilities as the third royal daughter of a kingdom. There are so many amazing twists and turns of dark magic, forcing oneself to forge forward into what should be impossible, the knowledge gained in least expected places, and the relationships forged along the way.

Marra finds herself not as smart or brave as she wishes she could be, yet she pushes herself to become an unlikely heroine- a nun with more power than a princess. Throughout the novel she demonstrates countless times how her real knowledge came from those who nurtured her, realizing things such as “our own flaws infuriate us in other people”. (Chapter 12, Page 132) Marra has a few qualities that I found myself completely empathizing with and I’m sure many would feel the same; the desire to help others and make things right (even if the others do not see/desire it themselves), and that when putting forth to a huge task there is a daunting sense that despite having done so much it was still just the beginning and there is still so much more to do. It is a truth well known that it is quite hard to keep direction when it’s you that you are following.

I highly recommend this book and very much think it will be a standout read of 2024. It’s got an epic fantasy adventure, a demon, people who speak to the dead, those who are trying to do the impossible to save their family, and those they come to love along the way.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯