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A review by chrissie_whitley
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
2.0
Having been a fan of Mary E. Pearson's young adult series, like The Remnant Chronicles (which I still think about), Dance of Thieves, and Jenna Fox Chronicles, I was really intrigued and excited to see Pearson's entry into full-fledged adult fantasy.
Bristol Keats and her sisters are struggling after the loss of both their parents. When Bristol receives letters from an unknown "aunt," she discovers that her family history is a complete fabrication — and that her father may still be alive, kidnapped by creatures from another realm. Determined to find him, Bristol enters a world of magic with gods, fae, and monsters. There, she makes a deal with the fae king, Tyghan, unaware that he’s the one behind her family's troubles and just as intent on finding her father —whether dead or alive.
Because of my familiarity with both YA and adult fantasy and with Pearson's work — I was doubly disappointed here. I'm not sure what the impetus for making the shift to adult fantasy could have been, but I am not sold on it having been Pearson’s intention. The Courting of Bristol Keats retains all the earmarks of a young adult fantasy (particularly those from a decade ago), but with some sex scenes and adult language sparingly peppered about. Bristol herself is only 21 (nay, begging pardon — she turns 22 during the narrative), and yet she still felt every bit as "grown up" as the sixteen-year-old protagonists of typical YA fare. Additionally, there's a lack of freshness, with echos of series that have come before, like Holly Black's The Cruel Prince.
This is one of those books where the story itself is interesting, but the execution doesn't quite able to hold up the weight of the full narrative.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
Bristol Keats and her sisters are struggling after the loss of both their parents. When Bristol receives letters from an unknown "aunt," she discovers that her family history is a complete fabrication — and that her father may still be alive, kidnapped by creatures from another realm. Determined to find him, Bristol enters a world of magic with gods, fae, and monsters. There, she makes a deal with the fae king, Tyghan, unaware that he’s the one behind her family's troubles and just as intent on finding her father —whether dead or alive.
Because of my familiarity with both YA and adult fantasy and with Pearson's work — I was doubly disappointed here. I'm not sure what the impetus for making the shift to adult fantasy could have been, but I am not sold on it having been Pearson’s intention. The Courting of Bristol Keats retains all the earmarks of a young adult fantasy (particularly those from a decade ago), but with some sex scenes and adult language sparingly peppered about. Bristol herself is only 21 (nay, begging pardon — she turns 22 during the narrative), and yet she still felt every bit as "grown up" as the sixteen-year-old protagonists of typical YA fare. Additionally, there's a lack of freshness, with echos of series that have come before, like Holly Black's The Cruel Prince.
This is one of those books where the story itself is interesting, but the execution doesn't quite able to hold up the weight of the full narrative.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.