A Journey of Love and Painted Wings: An Anastasia-Inspired Romantasy by Sarah McKnight, eBook, 578 pages
Synopsis from GoodReads: A historian, a swindler, and a woman buried in debt plan to usurp a kingdom. What could go wrong?
Thirty years ago, the kingdom of Sunshore fell. Taken over by a corrupt king with nothing but greed in his heart, the once beautiful land has become a shadow of its former glory, and its people cling to the story of a lost infant princess in an effort to keep hope alive. In the neighboring kingdom of Castria, Fynn Sweeney wants a simple life. Quiet companionship and perhaps a little shop to call his own. His Uncle Vic, however, has other plans for Fynn. For nearly thirty years, Fynn has learned the art of cards so he can earn money for Uncle Vic’s grand scheme – to remove the current king of Sunshore from his throne. Now Uncle Vic says the time has come, and Fynn must find a young woman to play a crucial role in the plan.
By chance, Fynn bumps into Etta Brownstone, a woman on the run from debt collectors intent to do her harm. In an act of desperation, she agrees to Vic’s outrageous scheme and sets off with the men to play the role of a long-lost princess. But as the journey begins, the truth comes to light. Vic may be hiding a painful secret, Fynn is caught between fierce loyalty and the desire for freedom, and Etta may not be who she thinks she is after all…
BOOK REVIEW: The first word that came to mind when I finished this book was WOW! That was amazing. This is my second book that I've read from this author and I loved it PLUS it is a totally different genre than the last book of hers that I read. For me, that says a lot about the author's writing ability!
The fantasy world that the author has created for this book is wonderfully amazing. How many times will I use amazing in this review...lol! At the beginning of the book there is a map of the world which I did glance at for the slightest of moments when I started and wish I had revisited while I was reading because it was interesting to follow the journey that Fynn, Uncle Vic, and Etta were taking. One of the things I loved about the feel/vibe of the era this book takes place in, is the feeling of medieval times (kings, queens, royal guards, etc) and the 1800s (when the transition from horse carriages to motor cars took place). Like Sherlock Holmes era but with kings and queens, not really the detective work, but dodging and fighting bad guys.
I knew that this was going to be a 5 star read before I was even halfway through the book. It is that good! The writing is amazing. The world is amazing and magical (did I forget to mention that there's magic and magical creatures too). There are a few spicy scenes that get a little more detailed than I personally like to read but nothing that took away from the story. The way she builds the relationships between all the characters and supporting characters is wonderful as well. I highly recommend this book! Go get it and if you read it, I would love to hear what you thought about it!
5/5 Stars
2024 Reading Challenge: 56/50 complete
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