DNF’d at 6%

I wanted to like this because the story sounded so interesting, but I barely got two chapters in before the writing gave me a headache.

So many descriptions of emotions choking/burning/whatevering through the main character. Interruption the flow of action to have some weird not quite flashback about the Grandfather even though we’re in the middle of introducing the aunt. A LOT of this was written in a passive voice which bugged the hell out of me. Also some of the sentences just plain did not make sense and I spent too long thinking of how to fix them rather than just reading them.

But possibly most confusing is this illness/poison situation? FMC says she’s been unwell all her life and that’s why none of the court trusts her to take over the throne. And I thought cool, I love a chronic illness rep. But then all her symptoms were attributed to her being poisoned a few weeks ago? Or at least it wasn’t made clear how this poison was affecting her differently than her general illness, if it was being exacerbated or what. And then it was just magically healed within minutes.

If the author is already struggling in the first two chapters to convey an allegedly important character trait like chronic illness, then I have no hope for the rest of the book. This is simply not for me 😵‍💫

One star for the GORGEOUS cover