marin reads

quote

"He's always wondered how pretty his death will be, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, he can escape his own ugliness at least in his final moments."

a voice of wrath by brittany cook

Rafa, a prince, was prophesized to die on his 21st birthday. Because of this, he grew up abused and neglected by everyone around him. Everyone except his best friend, Van. About a month before his supposed death, his twin sister (and current queen) Raza asked him for a favor - she wanted him to smuggle a person into an isolated kingdom, where being caught might mean certain death.

Most of this book is the journey that follows, which I really enjoyed, but at the same time I couldn't help but get a bit frustrated. I love a slow burn, but I wouldn't even call the "romance" in the story that. And every single one of the characters introduced in this book were so very interesting to me, but we only get a hint of their backstory. The main plot/conflict resolved tidily enough, although in that Diana Wynne Jonesian "everything is happening all at once" kind of way, without resolving the emotional arcs of the story.

While this all sound like a complaint, I loved reading this. I just wish there was more. I'm a very character-driven reader, and I loved the fact that all the characters are so interesting, but like I said, we hardly got to know them. Rafa is one of my favorite fantasy protagonists now, along with Maia (The Goblin Emperor) and Booth (The Bone Key), and I would love for this book (or for there to be a continuation) to explore his relationship with his sister more. And with Van. And Ash.

There's something very atmospheric and compelling about this novel to me - maybe even mythic - but I don't think it's for everyone. I wish there will be more. I will definitely want to read more of these characters.

* Thank you to City Owl Press for the ARC, which I received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program!

book details

City Owl Press, July 14th 2026 9781648985690

fantasy, queer