I’m straddling stars 3 and 4 with this one. I think my final assessment is a 3.8 due to the creativity of the system of magic. It’s fairly simple, but no less a highlight; anyone in possession of a card from one special deck can use the card’s magic—which sets the premise for the overarching plot: gather the cards and you possess all the power. There is a deadly catch though: a disease is killing people off throughout the kingdom, and those who survive are considered a threat for the ‘card-less’ magic that remains coursing through their veins. 

 

The creativity of this plot sets the stage for potential intrigue, action, deception, politics, and more, but the characters sabotaged this well-devised plan. Several lacked the conviction necessary to convince me they believed in themselves, while others were ghastly transparent and predictable, and a handful of paper bag wimps were altogether far too easily swayed. In essence, the characters carrying this brilliant plot along didn’t do it the justice it deserved. 

 

As for the setting, it promised castles and gloom and bridges over deep ravines between towering peaks lined by dense forest, and yet used very little of this fantasy world setting to its full advantage. Additionally subtracting from its multiple comical divisive elements, it called itself ‘Blunder’ and I don’t think that did the thing any great favour. 

 

The expected unexpected romance was all we’ve come to predict from this genre, falling back on easy to create tropes, but the execution was juvenile. If not for the voice in the darkness, this would have smacked of all the things we’ve read before (and even the internal voice wasn’t entirely new), but among its peers, it was entertaining enough—straight down the even middle of not-too-shabby and sacrificed-a-night-of-sleep-for-this (which I did not). 

 

Secondary characters (especially Ione-post-transformation and Renelm-the-jester) have a handful of classic one-liners, delightful shining moments of biting sarcasm and clear-minded wittiness. However, an increase in persiflage between the two sets of faux lovers would have been delightful. Awaiting more vituperation between Hauth and Ione in the finale… 

 

 

The audiobook narration was slightly over the top, which added to the entertainment value, though derived from its effort to be a serious contender among young adult fantasy novels, portraying the protagonists and their pancake flat evil counterparts in bright cartoon colours, not quite the eerie fog we’re associating with the cover, synopsis and plot. An internal voice living in the main character often sounded sinister, but then it came off a bit comical at times, so that in the parts where I should have been biting my fingernails to the quick, I was instead stifling a giggle. I don’t think that was the fault of the writing… 

 

The only advantage of listening to the audiobook would have been avoiding the tongue-tying and eyesore induced by the spelling of these arboretum-themed names with more y’s to phonetically interpret than a Welsh dictionary.