J. L. Vampa

"You are to be queen one day, and you will not cry in front of them, Aggie. You will change this world."
"Gods, he would rip the world apart for her. Until the end of time."
A mysterious Grimoire. A prophesied marriage full of dark secrets. And at the center of it all, a forgotten quartet of Sister witches tasked with sculpting History by magic. When Agatha is Ordered to the fair city of Merveille by an ancient Grimoire, she expects the worst. For the past three hundred years, Agatha, Sister Autumn, has been Ordered to incite wars, kill kings, burn villages, and release plagues. While her Sisters Winter, Spring, and Summer initiate the glories of history, Agatha is left to bring the horrors. But when the Grimoire also Orders Agatha to marry a pompous prince she's never met, and play the peasant "accepted" by vicious aristocrats, Agatha finds herself at the center of class turmoil and an age-old prophecy. But all is not as it seems within the court: too many players are harbouring dark secrets-including her new husband. And the more time she is in the castle, the more she's convinced that the long forbidden art of magic may actually be alive and well. It will take every ounce of her cunning and bravery to bridge the gap between the peasants and the crown, unravel the mysteries of her marriage, and, and accept help from the most unlikely sources. As secrets unfold will Agatha and her Sisters continue to serve the Grimoire, or forge an uncharted History with her new allies?
I have been dying to read a good witchy book and I can say this one did a pretty good job of giving me all the vibes I was wanting. I immediately fell in love with Agatha's character; she is ferocious and caring all at the same time. The author does a lot of world building in this one early on to explain the dynamics of the Sisters and their roles. I honestly wish a little more of that had been clearer early on, it felt like it took a bit to get to the heart of that dynamic. The book spends an overwhelming amount of time focused on court dynamics and the tensions in the kingdom, which was important, but also felt a bit boring sometimes.
The romance element to me was a tad disappointing for like the first 70 percent of the book, because the two hardly interacted--although they had some intense banter when they did. They had an enemies to lovers vibe about them pretty early on. I will say that I wished they had more interactions, so as to make some of the tension in the ones they had make more sense. It is most assuredly a slow burn type of book like SLOW slow, but nonetheless fun to watch unfold because of the banter and Agatha's inability to hold her tongue. I enjoyed the sisterhood dynamics the author showcased and can't wait to see more of that develop in the future books.
This book while slow to start and a bit confusing (because of the world building) was full of all the things I adore in a book. It had a strong, fierce main character. It had superb banter. It had secrets, which I wish had been a little less secret to make sense, and surprise reveals. It had shock and awe factors throughout the entire story and a lot of moments that I never saw coming. The last 30% of the book had me so engrossed that I forgot to put it down to sleep. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment of this series.… (meer)

I’m a sucker for fairy tales, but for me to really love them, they have to be done well. I really loved this one! Luvenia was amazing, and I thought all the characters were well-developed with unique personalities. The world is rich with a lot of depth, and getting to explore more of it as Luvenia went on her journey was fun. Although Luvenia is the main narrator, we do get to hear the story from other perspectives as well. Overall, this was an engaging read, with characters you’ll love, ones you’ll love to hate, and a world you’ll wish you could visit for real! If you enjoy darker fairy tales, then you’re going to want to dive right into this one.… (meer)

Powerful messages are cloaked in the shadows of intrigue and tension of a interesting, fantasy world.

Luvenia lives in a world torn apart by war. When she discovers that everything she believed herself is only a lie, and that she has much to fear, her life becomes harder than before. She must fight not only for survival and to discover the truth, but also to overcome the darkness inside of her.

It took me a bit to get into this novel. There are intriguing characters which draw in and offer all sorts of secret twists and turns. The world is inviting and easy to fall into...so magical and exciting! Even Luvenia carries the perfect amount of common, while making mistakes and learning from them. She's up against quite a bit, and it's fun to cheer her on and get to know her. As for the evil queen—well, that side is dark and I loved every moment with her.

There are tons of important messages wrapped up in this rich fantasy, which will leave readers with food for thought about themselves and the world around them. Some even encourage and inspire, and offer hope as a good ending should.

While there is much to love in these pages (especially for fantasy friends and fans of heroines who struggle and grow stronger with every page), the editing and polishing was weak. While the POV changes allowed new angles and important insights, some happened without warning. And often I felt like I was being told things, when I would have loved to experience or see them. Still, it's a grabbing read with much to enjoy. As said, fantasy friends who love strong heroines who have much to learn are sure to enjoy this one.… (meer)