"Perhaps I had been foolish to look for light in a shadow. That was the downside to wishes. They dared you to hope for the impossible, but hurts you deeply if not fulfilled in the desired way. It was in that way I could see how wishes could quickly turn into curses."

"And now it is our turn, We have reaped what so many others have sewn."

GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc
Would I recommend to others?: YES!

Review:
This book was wonderful! To start off, it is based on the folklore of the Romanov family, which is actually one of my favourite type of folklore and includes some of my favourite books! To start off, Marissa captivates us with a moment that happened in the past & set the mood for the story. Then, we get introduced to each sibling in the royal family and get to know them and love them throughout the story.

Then, Marissa begins to introduce the magical aspect of the story and this part is amazing as you get to love all the affinities and learn more about the world building. What stands out in this book is that the world building is spaced out and does not feel overwhelming at all! This is true to the plot, character building and magical affinities.

The book is so wholesome in that it has folklore lyrics and here is a part that is just written so beautifully:

"Dance with me, dance with me,
Amidst the tumbling flakes,
The winters are a melody.
It called me to the mountains,
I ran far away."

One of my favourite thing about this book is that Marissa took the time to not only add a map, but also a list of all the realms, the name of the characters and a few drawings of the characters. I loved this book and it was so wholesome BUT still filled with so many twists that you dont see coming!

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Fantasy! It has a bit of cozy fantasy in it, found family vibes (& actual family as well!) and a smudge of romance that is delivered in the right time and pace (slow burning for sure!)

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

"Something in the quiet was almost more unsettling, and the feeling of squandering the allotted elongated time before the other shoe inevitably dropped with my ineptitude was eating me alive."

"I cried the tears of heartbreak overflowing into the frost, and wondered if I'd ever be whole again. I hated every drop of emotion surging through me, and even more so, I hated the irrepressible need for releasing it despite my head commanding me to keep it all contained and properly managed."

Thank you to Marissa for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.