YA Buddy Readers' Corner ♥ discussion

In the vein of Naomi Novik’s New York Times bestseller Spinning Silver and Katherine Arden’s national bestseller The Bear and the Nightingale, this unforgettable debut— inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology—follows a young pagan woman with hidden powers and a one-eyed captain of the Woodsmen as they form an unlikely alliance to thwart a tyrant.

In her forest-veiled pagan village, Évike is the only woman without power, making her an outcast clearly abandoned by the gods. The villagers blame her corrupted bloodline—her father was a Yehuli man, one of the much-loathed servants of the fanatical king. When soldiers arrive from the Holy Order of Woodsmen to claim a pagan girl for the king’s blood sacrifice, Évike is betrayed by her fellow villagers and surrendered.

But when monsters attack the Woodsmen and their captive en route, slaughtering everyone but Évike and the cold, one-eyed captain, they have no choice but to rely on each other. Except he’s no ordinary Woodsman—he’s the disgraced prince, Gáspár Bárány, whose father needs pagan magic to consolidate his power. Gáspár fears that his cruelly zealous brother plans to seize the throne and instigate a violent reign that would damn the pagans and the Yehuli alike. As the son of a reviled foreign queen, Gáspár understands what it’s like to be an outcast, and he and Évike make a tenuous pact to stop his brother.

As their mission takes them from the bitter northern tundra to the smog-choked capital, their mutual loathing slowly turns to affection, bound by a shared history of alienation and oppression. However, trust can easily turn to betrayal, and as Évike reconnects with her estranged father and discovers her own hidden magic, she and Gáspár need to decide whose side they’re on, and what they’re willing to give up for a nation that never cared for them at all.

I have such high hopes for this. If I don't enjoy it I'm going to cry!

Andreea wrote: "I have such high hopes for this. If I don't enjoy it I'm going to cry!"

Hahaha. Same here. It sounds incredible!

Chapter 1
(view spoiler)[I love that the trees move and have to be tied down so they don't run away!
I just hope the religious conflict won't be the main plot point. (hide spoiler)]

Andreea wrote: "Chapter 1
I love that the trees move and have to be tied down so they don't run away!
I just hope the religious conflict won't be the main plot point."

It seems like (view spoiler)[religion is the center point of this story (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 1 - Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[Poor Évitke, it isn't fair how they treat her. For how much the Woodsmen and the people of the village scowl at Evitke's religion, they share a lot of the same traits. Kajetán was a pig (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 8 - Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[So she just cut her own finger for magic? Ok then. A slow building romance, we love to see it. So Gáspár is a soft and tortured boy, I love it (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15 - Chapter 21 (view spoiler)[Nándor is deranged, King Janos seems like a fool. Zsigmond seems kind and happy to have his daughter back, I hope they have a good relationship from now on (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 22 - The End (view spoiler)[Ok, finally Gáspár stepped up as the true heir, it was about time, boy! I'm sad that Évitke and Gáspár are not married as King and Queen lol (hide spoiler)]

I'm finishing off my current audio today and will start this one tomorrow :)

Chapter 7 (28%)
(view spoiler)[I have to admit that I'm just not feeling it. I don't really like the always-angry Evike (I know it's because of the bullying, but still find her unpleasant) and her tribe's treatment of her made no sense. Then again, the whole tribe and their magic doesn't make a lot of sense to me anyway.

I'm not invested in the plot yet either. The concept of fantasy-Christianity taking over a pagan religion is interesting, but I hadn't expected it to be so central to the story. Hadn't read he blurb properly, I guess. (hide spoiler)]

Dannii wrote: "I'm finishing off my current audio today and will start this one tomorrow :)"
No rush 😊

Just starting :)

First quarter - (view spoiler)[I love all fairy tales and am interested in every retelling, but there is something about Little Red Riding Hood that especially captivates me. I immediately loved this one and how it bonded the girl and the wolf in the woods as one being, with the woodsman initially being her enemy. (hide spoiler)]

Andreea wrote: "Chapter 1
I love that "

(view spoiler)[Everything about this story immediately had me captivated! I felt so whimsical and magical. (hide spoiler)]

Iris wrote: "Chapter 1 - Chapter 7 [spoilers removed] "

(view spoiler)[Fear of anything different seemed to initially fuel much of this story. (hide spoiler)]

Second quarter - (view spoiler)[The conversations about paganism and beliefs are interesting. The prince, Gáspár, has also revealed more of his upbringing which, although privileged, comes with its own hardships. He has much to prove, but his growing closeness to Évike is going to make that harder to do. If he does not return her to the palace his evil brother might find his way to the throne though, making his position an impossible one.

I'm really enjoying this but the synopsis has given far too much of the story away. I know almost everything that has occurred and I'm about a third of the through the book!

I never feared for Gáspár after his poisoning. He has been too well set up as the love interest for him to die and leave the book, but it still made for a tense scene. As did the one that came soon afterwards with the naked girl the duo passed on their journey and attempted to help before the revealed she was something otherworldly. (hide spoiler)]

Iris wrote: "Chapter 8 - Chapter 14 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I didn't super love reading about the romance but am super enjoying the rest of this. (hide spoiler)]

Andreea wrote: "Chapter 7 (28%)
I have to admit that I'm just not feeling it.."

(view spoiler)[Oh no, that's a shame. I'm enjoying the religious focus and their journey together, but not the obvious and budding romance. It remains an interesting enough read for me, so far, though. (hide spoiler)]

Third quarter - (view spoiler)[Aah, I love seeing Évike learn to bond with her father. He taught her to read just like he did her mother! (hide spoiler)]

Fourth quarter - (view spoiler)[I didn't dislike this but I also didn't love it as much as I thought it would. I wish it remained as whimsical as its opening scenes and included more magical elements, all the way through.

The final scene, where Évike was instructing another little girl and indicated that she wouldn't have to suffer like she did herself, was a sweet ending. (hide spoiler)]

Iris wrote: "Chapter 15 - Chapter 21 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 22 - The End [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[The romantic relationships in this didn't remain my favourite but I loved the familial ones, when Évike bonded with her father. I think the author wrote interactions between all other character well, but for some reason I just could not really care for Évike and Gáspár together. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13 (47%)
(view spoiler)[I would ask Evike if she's never heard the saying that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but Gaspar seems to be the type of fly who is inexplicably drawn to vinegar. I honestly can't see why he is drawn to Evike! She is so awful to him all the time. Should I be rooting for this toxic romance?!

Sadly, not a book for me. I should just DNF, but something always makes me force myself to finish a book I'm not enjoying. Other than not being interested in the characters, I'm just bored.

PS: I really don't understand what's stopping Evike from taking off the wolf cloak and blending in so she's not in so much danger as a "wolf-girl" in the capital. Gaspar could just say that the actual wolf girl was also killed in the forest. Problems solved. (hide spoiler)]

Dannii wrote: "Second quarter...."
Yes, the blurb reveals so much! Almost half way through the book and there are still things from the blurb that haven't happened yet!

Andreea wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Second quarter...."
Yes, the blurb reveals so much! Almost half way through the book and there are still things from the blurb that haven't happened yet!"

I did enjoy the book but after every action scene I was like... okay, I already knew this.

Andreea wrote: "Chapter 13 (47%)
"

I think the last quarter was my favourite so if you are still planning on continuing then I hope it picks up for you :)

Dannii wrote: "Andreea wrote: "Chapter 13 (47%)
"

I think the last quarter was my favourite so if you are still planning on continuing then I hope it picks up for you :)"
Hope so too, I'm definitely going to finish it :)

Dannii wrote: "Iris wrote: "Chapter 15 - Chapter 21 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 22 - The End [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I love me a soft boy, tough girl romance, but it was obvious that it was happening. Enemies to lovers, very old troupe, but it gets me every time lol (hide spoiler)]

Iris wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Iris wrote: "Chapter 15 - Chapter 21 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 22 - The End [spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[It did feel obvious but I can agree that although it didn't work for me here I'm usually a sucker for enemies to lovers too. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16 (62%)
(view spoiler)[I'm not sure I understand the Yehuli magic. It seems so powerful, to be able to do almost anything with words. How are they so oppressed and poor? (hide spoiler)]

Omg, someone is reading this! Thank goodness.

I honestly am not feeling this book. At ALL.

Booktastically wrote: "I honestly am not feeling this book. At ALL."
Same, 100%. It's not badly written, but I'm not interested in anything about it. Not the world, not the characters, not the (missing) plot. Just not working for me 😕

Andreea wrote: "Booktastically wrote: "I honestly am not feeling this book. At ALL."
Same, 100%. It's not badly written, but I'm not interested in anything about it. Not the world, not the characters, not the (mis..."

Omg, right???? I see nothing that makes my heart sing for it. The character are meh, the romance? No.

And I feel like the writing is trying to be more than it is? Like, 'my stomach churned like white water'.

What. does. that. mean????

And I get that Gaspar is dark skinned.
But why give him 'black determination'.

Excuse me, what????

Sorry, I just needed to get all that out.

Andreea wrote: "Booktastically wrote: "I honestly am not feeling this book. At ALL."
Same, 100%. It's not badly written, but I'm not interested in anything about it. Not the world, not the characters, not the (mis..."

My thoughts too :(

Booktastically wrote: "And I feel like the writing is trying to be more than it is? Like, 'my stomach churned like white water'.

What. does. that. mean????"
True, there are far too many comparisons and metaphors. Some are nice, but others feel so forced and make no sense.

Didn't pick up on the 'black determination' bit. Or maybe I haven't reached it yet. She definitely could have found a better word to describe it.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one! Thank you, guyssss

Chapter 20 (75%)
(view spoiler)[I am so confused by this decision. The only thing resulting from saving Katalin (other than her survival) is that now Gaspar will be seen as a traitor. Nandor will probably thank them for it. What difference does it make to the fate of the pagans and Yehuli if Evike saves her or not? I feel like the author is trying to make Evike's actions/choices seem important and weighty, but I just don't see it. I am biased, though, since I'm not enjoying this 😅 (hide spoiler)]

@Booktastically - same! 😁