Finally, this was a good one :)

Recently I have been on an unfortunate strike of fantasy books that were written only to introduce a trope and retell some of the well-known books.

This one was a breath of fresh air. The author took all of the familiar elements within this genre and gave it a personality and a voice. While I was reading it I felt the story, I understood the cause that was guiding them and I didn't mind that some of the elements were familiar. It had enough of its own originality and it made a nice starting point for a potentially good series.

The main character certainly is "not like the other girls" :) with her character, there is a deep presentation of unhealthy coping mechanisms and a life with unresolved traumas and pain. Some would say, nothing new, but this one felt different and I think it was done well. I have to say that I wanted to see how it would resolve on a deeper level, but there is still a lot of room for a character arc throughout the next book.

The thing that impressed me the most is the age of the characters! They were not a 500yo MMC and a 19yo FMC! The age difference is so much smaller and at the appropriate age of 60-80yo ;)

It does read as a debut novel, the world building needed a richer tone and the characters were a bit bland in a few scenes but other than that it was a great story that did end on a cliffhanger but only in a way that will invest you further into the storyline without leaving you with a lot of unanswered questions.

I will continue with this series and I believe it is about to get even better.