A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara Rutherford

July 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS By Mara RutherfordA Multitude of Dreams by Mara Rutherford
Published by Inkyard Press on 8/29/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 351
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

The bloody plague is finally past, but what fresh horror lies in its wake?

Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls.

Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence?

When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares ahead.

Short and Sweet Review

Princess Imogen has lived in Goslind for three years, the castle has been boarded up so that the people living in the castle could avoid catching the bloody mori roja plague which has ravaged most of the kingdom. Imogen has a secret that she’s been hiding for the past three years and its getting closer to being revealed each day, not only does she have to worry about that but the king is slowly descending into madness.

Nico Mott on the other hand used to live a good life before the plague took everything and everyone from him, if it wasn’t for Lord Crane, Nico would also have succumbed to the plague. Nico and two other boys are tasked by Lord Crane to travel to the castle to see if anyone else has survived the plague. When Nico runs into Imogen and learns she wants to leave, he has to stall to keep them alive and away from the horrors that lie outside of the castle walls.

A Multitude of Dreams is a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s A Masque of the Red Death. I haven’t read Poe’s story but I did enjoy what Rutherford wrote. Princess Imogen is actually someone named Seraphina, who has been pretending to be the princess after her death and to keep the king happy. Seraphina knows she’s walking on eggshells, especially around princess Giselle who makes her distain for Seraphina well known. The king seems okay but if triggered he goes off. Seraphina wants to know what life outside the castle is like, she’s also Jewish and has seen her people persecuted so she’s sure her family isn’t alive but she still has hope that maybe someone survived. Because of her want to be outside of the castle Seraphina becomes close to Lord Greymont who suggests she should bring it up to the king. Nico on the other hand is on the way to the castle and realizes that Lord Crane isn’t the man he thought he was. Nico ends up getting into the castle and meeting Seraphina. Nico, Seraphina, and a few others make a plan to get out of the castle but first they have to get past the undead and Lord Crane.

Seraphina is a great character, she says what she means and isn’t afraid to voice her opinion, it throws some people off because they don’t think that’s how a princess should act but Seraphina isn’t a princess she’s just pretending. Nico on the other hand feels a strong obligation to make things right and to protect those around him. I did like how there was a sense of romance but that was put on the back burner until these two could solve the more pressing matters at hand. The idea of the plague was pretty well done and I liked how even after contracting the plague there was still a possibility of the people to become undead.

This was an exciting book! I loved that both Seraphina and Nico had woven a web of lies to stay alive and now their lives are on the line. There was a lot of suspense about what would happen to those inside and outside of the castle. The writing was well done and it was a good take on Poe’s story. Check out this book when it’s released!

Filed Under: Reviews

LUMINOUS By Mara Rutherford

October 5, 2021 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LUMINOUS By Mara RutherfordLuminous by Mara Rutherford
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/5/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Liora has spent her life in hiding, knowing discovery could mean falling prey to the king’s warlock, Darius, who uses mages’ magic to grow his own power. But when her worst nightmare comes to pass, Darius doesn’t take her. Instead, he demands that her younger sister return to the capital with him. To make matters worse, Evran, Liora’s childhood friend and the only one who knows her secret, goes missing following Darius’s visit, leaving her without anyone to turn to.

To find Evran and to save her sister, Liora must embrace the power she has always feared. But the greatest danger she’ll face is yet to come, for Darius has plans in motion that will cause the world to fall into chaos—and Liora and Evran may be the only ones who can stop him.

Short and Sweet Review

Liora is a witch and she’s different, she glows. Her father has kept her hidden away but when Liora catches the eye of the King’s warlock Darius trouble ensues. Darius ends up taking Mina, Liora’s younger sister back with him to the palace and Liora becomes her neighbor Margana’s apprentice. During Liora’s apprenticeship she learns that Margana can weave things that will take life after she cast a spell once she is finished. Margana works for Darius and has been working on a tapestry for him, but after an argument Darius pushes Margana’s son Evran into the Tapestry and Liora goes in looking for him, after leaving the tapestry some of the creatures from that world also escape and now Evran and Liora are tasked with stopping them.

I feel like the pacing of the book was kind of slow and then it picked up when Liora had to go in the tapestry but then it slowed down again. People with powers had to basically stay hidden because Darius would use them to grow his own power, but he had his own villain backstory that Liora had to work to get. Liora and Evran had a cute romance but at times it was annoying how often he would push her away. This was an interesting book it reminds me of some other young adult books but it’s different in its own way. My only problem was the pacing otherwise a good story.


Filed Under: Reviews

KINGDOM OF SEA AND STONE By Mara Rutherford

October 2, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

KINGDOM OF SEA AND STONE By Mara RutherfordKingdom of Sea and Stone by Mara Rutherford
Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl #2
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/6/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Ever since Nor was forced to go to a nearby kingdom in her sister’s place, she’s wanted nothing more than to return to the place and people she loves. But when her wish comes true, she soon finds herself cast out from both worlds, with a war on the horizon.

As an old enemy resurfaces more powerful than ever, Nor will have to keep the kingdom from falling apart with the help of Prince Talin and Nor’s twin sister, Zadie. There are forces within the world more mysterious than any of them ever guessed—and they’ll need to stay alive long enough to conquer them…

Short and Sweet

Kingdom of Sea and Stone takes place right where Crown of Coral and Pearl left off. After being in Ilara, Nor wanted nothing more than to go back home to Varenia, but after returning she learns that her people have turned her back on her. She’s also looked down upon by the people of Ilara. Nor knows that there’s trouble ahead and she’ll do anything to keep her people safe even if they don’t believe in her.

Characters

Nor: Nor is back as our main character and she’s gone through a lot, she suffered while at Ilara having to give her blood to Ceren, and now they’re connected in a way where he can see her dreams and memories and she can see his. Nor also has to accept the fact that even though she would risk her life to save the Varenians they wouldn’t do the same for her. Nor loves hard and that’s one thing I really like about her, even though others might call her weak for it its actually what makes her strong.

Romance

Nor and Talin: I honestly feel like their relationship fell flat in this book. You can tell that they cared about each other but there was no chemistry. I feel like the relationship they had in the first book compared to what was going on in this book was very different, and not in a good way. I felt like Nor would have been better off with someone else.

Quotes

~ “Because even if love was my greatest weakness, it was also the thing that made me strong.”

My Thoughts

~ We see a lot more of Zadie in this book and I’m glad that she decided to go with Nor on her journey, I liked seeing the bond between these two. I will say that after Zadie is reunited with Sami we don’t really see that much of her.

~ Nor and Talin know that Ceren is coming after them so they seek help from Galeth. Galeth is one of those places that tries to be neutral, so our group doesn’t outright tell them that they want the Galethians to help them fight on the side of Talin’s mom.

~ In Galeth we meet a few allies, Roan and Adriel. Roan is a commander at one of the forts in Galeth and he’s pretty funny he’s also very opinionated and doesn’t hold back. Adriel is a healer and that sort of made her an outcast. Adriel and Nor hit it off and I think Adriel helped Nor to accept herself for who she is and not for what everyone wants her to be.

~ In the beginning of the book we don’t see much of Ceren unless Nor is having a dream, it’s not until we’re 65% in that his presence is more prominent.

~ We also see Talin’s mom Talia. Nor doesn’t entirely agree with Talia’s plans and that kind of puts a rift between Nor and Talin.

Overall

I thought this book was better than the first in terms of the plot. I liked that we see everything that the characters were worried about come into fruition in this book. It was also interesting to see how the blood bond between Nor and Ceren worked. Nor becomes more sure of herself in this book which is something I liked seeing. This series is worth the read and Kingdom of Sea and Stone was a good ending to this duology!

Filed Under: Reviews

CROWN OF CORAL AND PEARL By Mara Rutherford

August 20, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

CROWN OF CORAL AND PEARL By Mara RutherfordCrown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford
Series: Crown of Coral and Pearl #1
Published by Inkyard Press on 8/27/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

ReviewedbyDani

Nor once dreamed of seeing the wondrous wealth and beauty of Ilara, the kingdom that’s ruled her village for as long as anyone can remember. But when a childhood accident left her with a permanent scar, it became clear that her identical twin sister, Zadie, would likely be chosen to marry the Crown Prince—while Nor remained behind, unable to ever set foot on land.

Then Zadie is gravely injured, and Nor is sent to Ilara in her place. To Nor’s dismay, her future husband, Prince Ceren, is as forbidding and cold as his home—a castle carved into a mountain and devoid of sunlight. And as she grows closer to Ceren’s brother, the charming Prince Talin, Nor uncovers startling truths about a failing royal bloodline, a murdered queen…and a plot to destroy the home she was once so eager to leave.

In order to save her people, Nor must learn to negotiate the treacherous protocols of a court where lies reign and obsession rules. But discovering her own formidable strength may be the one move that costs her everything: the crown, Varenia and Zadie.


Short and Sweet

Princes from Ilara have married maidens from Varenia for generations. Nor has always known that it was either her or her sister, Zadie that would be picked to go to Ilara, but all of that changed when Nor ended up with a scar on her face. When Zadie is injured before she is set to leave for Ilara Nor is picked to go in her place. Everything isn’t as great as Nor imagined it would be, Prince Ceren is cold and off-putting. When Nor becomes closer to Prince Talin she learns a lot of things that she wasn’t aware of before coming to Ilara. Now Nor has to find a way to navigate Ilara and save her people.

Characters

Nor: Nor is our main character and I liked her. Nor was strong and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, she risked taking Zadies place knowing that she could be killed if she was caught. Nor loves her family and the people of Varenia even if they treat her badly, she’s was still willing to do what was right and try to save them.

Zadie: Zadie is Nor’s twin sister and one of the most beautiful girls in Varenia. Zadie is constricted by a lot of rules mainly because her mother doesn’t want Zadie to jeopardize her chance at going to Ilara. Zadie is meek and doesn’t speak out much and thats one thing I didn’t like about her, especially after her accident.

Sami: Sami is Nor and Zadie’s childhood friend and their only friend. Sami is the son of the governor but he doesn’t have much say in what his father does, but Sami does plan on being governor of Varenia one day and wants to rule differently than his father.

Talin: Talin is Ceren’s younger half brother. He may seem kinder than his brother but he may have his own motives, which is why Nor has to watch out for him. Talin is helpful in trying to keep Nor safe from Ceren but Talin isn’t always around because he doesn’t live in the castle with everyone.

Ceren: I thought that Ceren would have some kind of redeeming qualities, but that wasn’t the case at all. You want to feel bad for him because he’s sick, but then he’ll just do something thats awful to counteract you feeling bad. He loves to make people feel uncomfortable and he’s just plain cruel.

Romance

Nor and Ceren: Since Nor took the place of Zadie, Nor is going to become Ceren’s wife. These two didn’t have any chemistry. I don’t think Ceren likes anyone at all. Ceren is cold and cruel and only kept Nor around to use her.

Nor and Talin: Nor has been attracted to Talin since he came to Varenia. Nor didn’t know Talin was a prince until she came to Ilara. Talin is different from his brother in that he’s kind and willing to make Nor feel comfortable.

Zadie and Sami: Zadie and Sami have always been in love, which is why it was hard for both of them when they found out that Zadie was chosen to go to Ilara. This leads to Zadie doing something dangerous, which was a risk because in the end she didn’t know if Sami would even stay with her after what she did.

My Thoughts

~ I thought it was interesting that the people in Varenia are only used to the sea while everyone from Ilara is used to the land. When Nor finally gets to Ilara she learns that adjusting to land isn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

~ I thought Nor’s mother was horrible and was an antagonist herself. Nor’s mother would be the antagonist on Varenia while Ceren would be the antagonist in Ilara. I thought Nor’s mothers attitude was horrible and she obviously favored Zadie because she would be the one chosen to go to Ilara, she also tried to blame Nor for Zadie’s accident.

~ This book started off very slow, I’m sure it was slow to build up the setting and the plot but I don’t think it really helped build up the plot. When we finally got to the plot and some action the book was basically over.

~ Nor decides that while she’s in Ilara she’ll do some spying and try to report back to Sami by meeting him at a market.

~ In Ilara it’s the women who are supposed to be in charge but since there hasn’t been any female heirs and the queens have died before their husbands, the kings have ruled.

~ In Varenia there are pink pearls that can be traded in for currency and these pearls also have healing properties, which is why Ceren is interested in learning more about them and is trying to keep them for himself.

~ While in Ilara Nor is confined to the castle and isn’t allowed to leave unless Ceren gives her permission.

~In the castle Nor makes an alliance with Melina, an older woman who also came from Varenia. Nor has to be careful when meeting with Melina because Ceren doesn’t like her.

~ Nor learns a lot about things that have happened in the past and Ceren’s future plans which will affect the people in Varenia.

~ I thought the ending was okay it could have been better I think if the pace of the book was a little faster and the plot didn’t occur towards the end of the book there could have been more added that would have made the book more exciting.

Overall

The book ended on a cliffhanger and I’m interested to see what will happen next with Nor especially because of everything that happened in the end. I liked this book but I thought that the pacing was slow and there wasn’t much that happened until the end.

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Filed Under: Reviews