With a gorgeous cover that immediately grabbed attention, The Cherished promises a visceral horror experience similar to Midsommar—but falls short of delivering on that comparison. While the book isn’t outright terrible, it struggles to find its footing between genres, leaving the story in a somewhat "meh" middle ground for me. The supernatural element comes across as more ridiculous than menacing, which veers away from the horror element, and suggests the story might have worked better as a dark fantasy. Readers seeking a truly thrilling or unsettling experience might find themselves disappointed, but those open to a lighter, genre-blending read may still find some enjoyment. Ultimately, The Cherished didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Dark Fantasy readers should definitely check this out, though!