arranged marriage – Damsel in Delight

13+

Usually when I go back for a reread (especially when I reread it within a year) then the plot doesn’t captivate me as much, but this one completely did. It feels so soft the plot and everything happens and then nothing but so many details and little emotions are worked into the whole world that you are never bored for a moment.

Elsie and Farrendel are in an arranged heavily political marriage between two countries that have been at war and in a country that is on the precipice of a much larger one. They don’t have the insta-love/attraction that I always struggle with in political marriage books, they understand each other and move slow. The exploration of cultural differences as well as the aftermath of war on people is really well explored but it is rarely heavy because we always have the hope of the new alliance and romance.

These series isn’t a rapid paced whirlwind so you get to know the characters which is especially important as later on in the series the POV changes. In this first book we get a real sense of the hope on both sides – no one wants war and so these two very different people from different cultures and life experiences are going to do everything they can to make this work.

World – 5/5 – classic fantasy, elves and humans and trolls yet fresh. It almost feels like a historical Victorian novel in places and then we revert into the very fantasy world of the elves. The juxtaposition between the traditionalist long lived elves and the Victorian feel humans shows just how the two kingdoms are so different but yet need to come closer to survive.

Plot – 4/5 – it is very much the wider plot, we have a lot of time we are playing with here over the series and a lot of war that happens before. But I was never lost and I was 100% there throughout all of the plot moments.

Romance – 5/5 – it is somehow the focus and not of the book, it is very sweet and slowburn while still giving us those deliciously sweet moments in places.

Characters – 5/5 – they are so realistic that sometimes I cant figure out how I feel about them. All of the characters are distinct and yet this hope binds them all. And they are reassuringly mature – well the mc’s are, the court is another thing entirely. It feels like it steps away from a YA fantasy romance into something that floats between and could be enjoyed by any young adult or adult adult looking for a fantasy read that steps out of tropes and delivers on all counts.

Content Warnings: violence, PTSD (pretty low in the first one but does increase as the series continues), ableism (as a country, Tarenheil is obsessed with surface perfectionism).

13+B

Wow, this book is a rare find! I read it in one sitting and have since read the rest of the series. The heroine Elisa is not the typical YA character and super realistic, especially in the first book. Her character arc is one of the standout points in this book and it is a joy to read as she grows into a true heroine.

She begins the book as a sixteen year old princess destined for a political marriage far away, and is constantly comparing herself to her older sister. She is special, she has a Godstone. she has a destiny. This sounds kind of familiar, right? The premise is a well known one, but from then on I was hooked. She starts as a character we all can relate too. She is overshadowed and has an insane amount of pressure on her. Because of this she comfort eats and has low self confidence, which is understandable and makes her character believable. Because she isn’t sassy for the sake of being sassy and immature as many YA heroines are, she is a breath of fresh air to read.

Even the minor characters are well developed and with backstories. Her relationship with her new husbands child Roserio is interesting, especially considering there is only about ten years between them, and it really shows another side of Elisa’s character. Althrough the is minor romance, it isn’t spicy at all and it takes a backseat to her personal journey. The world is an original mix of Spain, the middle east, colonial times and just good world building.

I adore that the author isn’t afraid to remove characters and the characters who die are often close to the heroine, which gives the war a layer of bitter heart -breaking reality.

Characters – 5 stars – while some of the characters are dislikable, all of them, even the most minor are fully developed and fleshed out.

World – 5 stars

Romance – 5 stars – Sweet Romance – like I said further up, the romance isnt spicy, just a few kisses – and the author has made it very natural and it happens over time.

Plot – 5 stars – complex and develops nicely.

Potential triggers/things to be aware of: Elisa has a political marriage to a widower king much older than her (they don’t have sexual or romantic relationship, even through she fears that he might expect one in the very beginning). Several characters die, and in mediumly graphic descriptions. The topics of betrayal, love and loss are explored. Self doubt especially at the beginning althrough we get to see her grow out of that and understand her own power. The King she marries does have a mistress which is an interesting detail which supports Elisa’s emotional abandonment by the King.

Tag: arranged marriage

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