I received a copy of Blood Iron and Bone by Sera Foxe from NetGalley. This fantasy romance book is the first book of the Lightbringer series. I loved the concept of the different worlds pressed together on top of or below each other. The story follows Aurelia, who is a human and feels like she doesn’t belong in this world or with her parents. She hears strange noises at night that intrigue her. One day, she follows the noises and ends up in a different world.
The fae realm of Aithrim is kind of parallel to the human world. This world has been taken over by darkness, but there is a prophecy of a union of two fae that will help bring back the light to their world. Andar, a prince, and Lark, a high-born girl, seem to be the fae whose union will help their world. Andar feels a disconnect from Lark, who is supposed to be his fated mate and Lark doubts if their match will fulfill the prophecy. They have always been friends, but the way they feel about each other doesn’t seem like anything fated. When Aurelia is drawn by the mysterious noises and ends up in Aithrim; there are revelations of their true identities and how the prophecy comes into play.
I think the world-building and the characters were the best part of the book for me. The mythology of this fae world is like how every fae is born with a prophecy attached to their life. It gives a sense of drive and destiny to their society. There is a sort of sadness in the descriptions of Athrim because it is being consumed by darkness; it helps set the tone for the plot. There are elements of political intrigue and different fae cultures in the story, which I really loved reading. Aurelia has felt like a misfit all her life, and it is easy to relate to her because we all at one point have felt this way. She is the relatable character in the story through her struggles and bravery in a world that is unknown to her. Andar resembles a reluctant hero in the story. He holds on to his morals and wants to do the right thing for his world. These characters are not perfect, which makes them intriguing to me.
The story is narrated through six character perspectives, and that made it hard for me to completely engage with the story. The pacing of the story was a bit of a drawback for me. The book spends a lot of time building up the world, which leaves the second half feeling rushed. I wanted Aurelia to find the realm and Andar by 20% or 25% in the book, but it almost took the first half. The world-building is extremely intricate, and I loved the attention to detail, but it kind of lagged. I wanted the prophecy unfolding to begin sooner so that it felt like an adventure. I enjoyed the romance and found family aspects of the story, but these things held back the amazing potential this story has. However, I enjoyed the theme of destiny versus choice that is prominently woven throughout the story.
Blood Iron and Bone by Sera Foxe was a slightly underwhelming fantasy romance read for me. I was so intrigued by the world created and the characters, but the six-perspective narrative and uneven pacing made me lose interest at some points in the story. I feel the emotional impact of the book would have been far better for me if it didn’t shift the narrative POVs so much. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book, but sadly, I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.
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