Otherwise, the romance is more substantial than the one in Juniper & Thorn, but another big problem for me is that Preston just seems so vague and lifeless - I never really felt a true sense of what made him distinct or complex or interesting as a character at all. He’s a cynic who loves talking about his academic theories and he is kind and respectful to Effy when literally every other man in the book is a lascivious slobbering monster. There is one scene where he tells Effy about his father’s death, and that’s pretty much the most significant spotlight moment that he gets throughout the book.

Argant was always claiming that Lyrian treasures and traditions were really their own. Llyr was forever accusing Argant of stealing their heroes and histories." His shoulder was pressed against her chest, their faces close enough that Effy could see the muscle feathering in his jaw." it just confused me and ruined any potential attachment to the characters, but specifically Effy that i craved. The word “girlboss” has done irreparable damage in understanding the nuances of female characters & any female character that dares to show anger, isn’t some martyr, and wants revenge is being dismissed as a “girlboss” If you're claiming your book is a Very Important Work and an honest exploration of mental illness, women existing in a misogynistic world and women reclaiming their voice at least be actually nuanced about it; if you touch on female empowerment as a writer then actually commit to it. Don't spit on my face and tell me it's raining.However, there is also another theme of bigotry and prejudice that runs throughout the book that was not handled well at all and left me feeling very uncomfortable and unable to rate this book higher. Effie the fmc references the conflict between her country of Llyr and the neighboring country of Argant early in the book in and it's repeatedly emphasized that she feels extreme animosity for this other race of people. The plot had hole after hole after hole. The giant twist about the book Angharad was so, so, so obvious that I knew what it was from the very beginning. I also never understood why Myrddin's wife didn't just approach Effy when she first arrived and tell her what was going on. I never understood while Effy and Preston didn't just go ask the butler or any of the townspeople what was going on. (One townperson dropping one tiny, specific bit of information to Effy, a bit of info that every single person in 50 miles of Myrddin's house would absolutely would've known, and the book would've ended right there and then.) Effy used both hands to smooth the paper flat, then squinted at the curling script. Handwritten, it was smeared in several places. It was further obscured by a water stain of no discernible shape, like a birthmark or a growth of mold.

It's an incredibly atmospheric book, every moment feels alive, as if the wind will wrench you from this world and place you anew upon the cliffs. Every creak of the dilapidated house, every lash of rain on the characters' cheeks, it was all so vivid. The writing was truly phenomenal.While at Hiraeth, she also meets Myrddin’s son Ianto, who is determined to keep his father’s legacy—and house—intact, as well as the brash young scholar Preston, who hails from a rival kingdom and is determined to discredit the famous author by proving he didn’t actually write his most well-known works. Desperate to protect her favorite writer’s reputation—and perhaps earn herself a position in the traditionally harsh-toward-women literature college in the process—Effy agrees to help Preston with his investigation, which brings the two rivals closer and puts them in much greater danger than either could have ever imagined.