Ok so I definitely just picked this up because it has one of the most gorgeous covers I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the inside does not match. 

The characters all felt like cliches: the rule-breaking princess, the charming prince, the kind king, the evil stepmother, the proud dragon. ONE of these was subverted, but not the rest, and that I think is part of why a lot of the book was rather predictable. 

I have a bit of a pet-peeve for stories where someone loses the ability to hear or speak and they don’t learn sign language. In this story, Shiori, the main character, is cursed and can’t speak. Takkan, the love interest, is miraculously able to understand complex thoughts and emotions through just her body language. I think him being the only one to be able to understand her so well was sweet, but I think it would have been cooler and made more sense if Takkan knew sign and taught her and they communicated that way. 

Raikama’s ending monologue was so incredibly cringy, I’m sorry. It’s supposed to be a serious and emotional scene but I just kept laughing. It was so cliche and corny. Also, without spoilers, when we learn what we learn about Raikama, her previous actions don’t really make sense. She kinda explained herself in her monologue but it still feels like she did way more than necessary and had less control of her magic than she typically does. 

I’m giving this 2.75 stars cause it was still enjoyable despite everything. I liked the characters and romance. This book had potential, it was just sloppily crafted. Will I read book two? Honestly, maybe? Definitely not anytime soon, but maybe at some point.