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A review by heathers_books
Reforged by Seth Haddon
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
To put it simply, this book worked for me. From the characters that brought the heart of the story to the plot that had some unexpected and very satisfying plot twists, my full attention was held from start to finish and I had a wonderful time reading!
I have a tendency to struggle a bit with books that have court politics as a main plot line - At a certain point I begin to feel like I’m trapped in a conversation with people I don’t know rattling off names of other people I don’t know who live in places that, you guessed it, I don’t know. Haddon did a wonderful job of bleeding his main characters into the extended cast and by doing so he made them feel much more alive and worthy of my attention.
I absolutely have to address our leading boys Zavrius and Balen. The story is told entirely through Balen’s point of view which is a choice I absolutely adored.
Sometimes in books where there is a single pov I struggle with the lack of understanding or insight into the emotions of the love interest. Haddon executed this flawlessly simply by having Zavrius and Balen having had a romantic past - Balen is already in tune with Zavrius’ subtle hints of emotion and is privy to his mannerisms and their meaning. Because of this, even when Zavrius has put on a mask of cold aloofness, we know through Balen that there is emotion under the layers because Balen can see under the facade that Zavrius puts out into the world and I as a reader did not feel distant to him.
I have not read anything so soft and tender and heartfelt and fast paced and tense all at the same time. This book is like a cup of tea on a stormy day for your heart. Haddon knows how to write good romance and yearning intermingled with high stakes and it shows.
Basically, if you like dungeons and dragons and BBC Merlin and soft yearning then this book is for you.
And Lastly, can we have a round of applause for this cover art by Julie Dillon? It’s gorgeous and warm and I’m buying a physical copy because it’s pretty. (My Fine Arts degree is still costing me money long after I’ve paid it off cause it’s made me a total sucker for art.)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have a tendency to struggle a bit with books that have court politics as a main plot line - At a certain point I begin to feel like I’m trapped in a conversation with people I don’t know rattling off names of other people I don’t know who live in places that, you guessed it, I don’t know. Haddon did a wonderful job of bleeding his main characters into the extended cast and by doing so he made them feel much more alive and worthy of my attention.
I absolutely have to address our leading boys Zavrius and Balen. The story is told entirely through Balen’s point of view which is a choice I absolutely adored.
Sometimes in books where there is a single pov I struggle with the lack of understanding or insight into the emotions of the love interest. Haddon executed this flawlessly simply by having Zavrius and Balen having had a romantic past - Balen is already in tune with Zavrius’ subtle hints of emotion and is privy to his mannerisms and their meaning. Because of this, even when Zavrius has put on a mask of cold aloofness, we know through Balen that there is emotion under the layers because Balen can see under the facade that Zavrius puts out into the world and I as a reader did not feel distant to him.
I have not read anything so soft and tender and heartfelt and fast paced and tense all at the same time. This book is like a cup of tea on a stormy day for your heart. Haddon knows how to write good romance and yearning intermingled with high stakes and it shows.
Basically, if you like dungeons and dragons and BBC Merlin and soft yearning then this book is for you.
And Lastly, can we have a round of applause for this cover art by Julie Dillon? It’s gorgeous and warm and I’m buying a physical copy because it’s pretty. (My Fine Arts degree is still costing me money long after I’ve paid it off cause it’s made me a total sucker for art.)
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.