I've previously read THE LOST SUN and THE STRANGE MAID, and I've also read the sequel to those The Apple Throne (but I didn't review it because reasons). So I was pretty excited to stumble across another book by them. ...and then also, you know, when you amazon things, you find out they've written a bunch of other books, and well of course THOSE have to go in the to read pile too. Reading life problems.
Anyways, I loved the United States of Asgard series, so I was pretty excited to pick this book up.
...but it was a bit of a bizarre read. An amazon summary, and then let me explain, "Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice.
Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest.
Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early.
Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out." AMAZON LINK OF JUSTICE
In Three Graces, no one gets sick (not even the animals), there's no blight, and everyone seems to get along. The village of Three Graces is quite prosperous but... that's because long ago, a witch fell in love with the devil. She ran into the devil's forest and gave her his heart in exchange for the enchantment for the village. But, the enchantment comes with a high price. Every seven years, the blood tree blooms red leaves, signaling the rise of the slaughter moon. The younger men of the village are assembled to go through a mild series of trials to prove they are the best boy in the village, worthy of becoming the next saint. The saints must enter the devil's wood. If they survive the night, they can go free, but most of them don't come back. This renews the enchantment for another seven years.
Mairwen is the latest witch of the village. She has always been drawn to the forest and has always tried to understand more about the bargain struck so long ago by the original witch. She loves Rhun, the boy who will most likely be the saint this time. Rhun, is kind of the perfect guy; he's super kind, loves everyone and is affectionate with everyone. Arthur was originally raised as a girl by his mother in a hope to avoid him becoming the saint. Arthur was discovered when the girls went to go swimming at the lake when they were about six, and, well he didn't match the other girls. His mother left in a fit of anger, and Arthur has been a restless outcast since then.
But, Mairwen loves Rhun and wants to see him survive the woods. She doesn't want him to go in. She's going to find a way to save Rhun.
That's enough summary.
So, I can't explain any more of the story without ruining all these complicated plot lines. There's a ton of exploration of identity, of relationships, and how everything kind of connects. There's a bunch of character growth and a whole lot of plot intrigue as the three friends embark on solving the mystery once and for all.
There's a bunch of magic, mystery, and also this pervasive kind of pulse of doom throughout the story. Something darker is a foot, and as it's slowly revealed, it's freaking chilling.
There's a bunch of graphic descriptions of different spots of violence, or different.... I don't know how to describe how menacing aspects of the world seem to be. The tone of the story always carries an air of a dark mystery, even during the lighter aspects of the story.
It was a good read, but, I can't make this a recommended book review because I'm still not sure how the story really came together in the end. The story telling was so smooth, and this certain thing happens, and it all kind of seemed disjointed after that. I did like the very end of the book, but between the certain event and leading to the end, it was kind of lots of head scratching and uncertainty of what was happening.
Happy reading!
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