Interesting premise and worldbuilding. Loved the dark misty magical forest vibes. Vengeful Spirit of the Woods? Salty magic? Yes, please! 

Everything else was a little underwhelming (plot, characters, writing) but it was an entertaining read.

4.75⭐️ In this riddled story you will find nothing, and everything is as it seems. Haunted, infected, and feared, the beautiful Elspeth hides her cards close to her chest in case one looks too close and discovers her secret. The secret that she alone does not carry her secrets in her mind. As a child she got infested, and at the cusp of death, the Nightmare swooped in and saved her with its dark magic, but nothing comes without a price, especially magic. And now, as a young woman, Elspeth must face her Nightmare as she loses her mind to the monster and her heart to the man predicted she would meet on a long, lonely road. 

Don’t get me wrong; it was VERY predictable, but I liked the writing. It’s different from other romantasy books I have read in a way I can’t quite explain. I enjoyed it so much I actually bought the second book while I still had like seven chapters left because I knew I needed to know how this ends. I hope the second book will be less predictable; nevertheless, I expect it might be a bit more “entertaining” considering the ending.

This story was incredibly gripping. I very much progression and the subtle changes that you recognize in the character as the book goes on. Super excited to start two twisted crowns.

I am shook. This book started out slow, but once the story hit the first reveal it started to push along quickly. 

The magic system was a bit overwhelming to follow for me at first. I really enjoyed the colored themes for each of the cards. 

Elspeth’s journey in this book is brutal. Watching how all the characters are affected by the use of magic was a really interesting perspective. 

I need to finish processing this story and start book 2 soon.