Disclaimer: I received this as an e-ARC from Double Beast Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story follows two sisters named Hazel and Holly who live in the Grove. This is a community full of witches and warlocks who practice elemental magic, brew potions and protect their pantries from thieving gnomes. The world building was very well done in the book. It seemed like a cute world, where nothing really happens. Until the sisters father traps their moms soul, using necromancy. As is the norm, necromancy is not allowed. The girls live alone, but one day they decide to chase their father to free their mom's soul. With the help of two warlocks (who they met at a party, intended for one warlock to find his wife), they embark on a journey.
I found this book to be just okay. The world building and magic system is very well done. The four elemental magics: Wry, Weaving, Hearth and Wild were cool and original. The book is easy to follow, and written in a way that you can leave and come back into a few days later and not be lost. It started out as serial, so this makes sense. I also liked the fact that each chapter had it's own title. The cover is beautiful.
The characters annoyed me (Hazel complained too much) and the plot didn't really thrill me. The pacing felt like it was just very off and the plot was going around in circles. I had high hopes because a strong sister bond, witches and the cover, but it just didn't quite deliver for me. I had major high hopes, so this could be a "me not you".
3/5
I'd recommend this to people who are big fans of witches and like YA novels.

The magic system in this story is one of the strongest point of this book. It really had me hooked from the first introduction and I was very intrigued by all the streaming’s in magic. I loved how well executed all the magical segments were and what a huge impact they had on the daily life of the characters. I hope that we will explore all the different magical systems more in the future books. Because now it focusses mainly on the witches streaming’s, but I love to read more about warlock magic and the balance between female and male magic. (Something that was slightly hinted after in the book.)

Another strong point in the book is the dynamic between the characters. And then I am not really talking about the sisters, but mainly the interaction between the sisters and the brothers. I loved the banter between Holly and Hawthorn and the comical note that Thume brought to the overall story. I also loved that the storyline between Holly and Hawthorn took a rather unsuspected turn. Of the beaten track, it certainly made for a more interesting storyline.

But I have to confess that I also understand why so many readers struggle with this story. One of my main complaints is the fact that I just couldn’t place this book. It is marketed as Young adult, but most of the time it reads as a middle grade book. However sometimes the topic are a little bit to explicit or too dark for the audience of middle grade. I honestly think that Hazel and Holly needs a good editor who works a little magic on this story. The potential for a very good book is already there, without any doubt. But to captivate the YA audiences this book is a little too tame, a bit too silly… it just can’t stand up between truly wonderful YA books filled with romance, action and magic. If it was just edited right (the romance scenes a little less intense, the darkness a little less dark) then this would be a wonderful middle grade novel that would really be able to captivate young readers.

So to cut this review short… I absolutely enjoyed exploring the world of Hazel and Holly. I am looking forward to returning with them on their magical path. But I can see why so many readers struggle with this story. Such a shame, because in general the setup of this story is really enjoyable.

review will be posted on my blog on 13/05/2019

2 stars

A magical fantasy novel with cute chapter headings and an enchanted forest vibe...but it could not keep my interest and ultimately fell under its character and dialogue issues.

<b>World</b>: <span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span>
<b>Writing</b>: <span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span>
<b>Characters</b>: <span>&#9733;</span><span>&#9733;</span>
<b>Dialogue</b>: <span>&#9733;</span>

<b>I was very excited to read this ARC.</b> It sounded like the perfect blend of magical adventure, necromancy, and sister/sister bonding. Unfortunately, <i>Hazel and Holly</i> fell flat for me.

<i>Hazel and Holly</i> features the tale of sisters—Hazel and Holly—as they live in their high fantasy/enchanted forest setting. <b>The first chapter was amazing, compelling, and conveyed the immediate concepts of the novel</b>: the sisters are witches, their mother is dead but her soul lives on in a painful geas that their necromancer father forced, and the sisters don't like each other much and are very different.

<b>Unfortunately, my enjoyment of <i>Hazel and Holly</i> downgraded pretty quickly after these introductions.</b> The plot attempted to kick off with the introduction of brothers Hemlock and Hawthorne, who provide an extremely obvious foil between Hazel and Holly, but I could not maintain my interest in this 500+ page novel. The quest to find their father to save their mother should have been exciting, but the novel kept stopping for dialogue that really hampering my enjoyment.

<b><u>Some of the main problems included:</u></b> repetitive dialogue, static character arcs, lack of depth within the characters, scenes without a clear purpose, humor aimed at a much younger audience than the demographic, and dialogue for the sake of dialogue.

Given my issues with <i>Hazel and Holly</i>, <b>I'm inclined to believe that this novel was not for me, and might likely be a very enjoyable read for a younger reader. The humor, in particular, seemed to be aimed at a young(er) audience.</b> Maybe if it had been marketed younger I would have gone into it with a different frame of mind?

Hopefully those who pick up <i>Hazel and Holly</i> can find more enjoyment in it than I did.

***

Original notes: ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Enchanted forests, witches, necromancy, and girl power - OH MY 😍

A lovely fantasy and the discovery of a very good author.
I enjoyed this book, engaging and entertaining; I appreciated the well written characters and the humour.
The plot was good and well developed and it never bores.
I hope this is the start of a new series because it'd be great to meet again the characters.
I will surely read other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I think books that center around family/sister relationships are great, but I just couldn't connect with this one. Maybe it was because the trappings of the world didn't feel fleshed out - the magic system seemed fairly appended on - or even illusory, a starting place for the story rather than something meant to pop off the page ((the Grove where Hazel and Holly live and its inhabitants are basically ghostly), or because the characters were almost cartoonish. I kept feeling as if the story were getting stuck in little loops, as if they had to get past multiple similar obstacles before moving on to the next thing, which robbed even the critical final battle scene of real weight. The tone for the majority of the narrative felt as if it were striving for something like Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest series - slightly goofy but taking itself just seriously enough that it feels impactful - but not quite making it. The main romance was...unobjectionable. I do wonder about the genre placement: the writing style and content seem pretty solidly YA, and it seems that it's only the choice to have Hazel, Hemlock, and Hawthorn aged between 23 and their forties that bumps it up to NA. Would having them be teenagers really make a difference in the story, especially when fantasy already assumes some suspension of disbelief and buy-in to the world building? Finally: while I know it's part of the world, I wish the four main characters names weren't all so close together; I spent WAY too much time reminding myself which warlock brother was which,

There is a lot that I could say about this book. Some things are good - some things not so much. All I can say is that this is like nothing I've ever read before.

That's probably in part due to the fact that I'm not normally one for NA. I'm not saying I wouldn't enjoy it - just that I haven't read a whole bunch of it before. I think initially this was categorised under YA/Teen Fiction, hence why I was so confused to discover that Hazel is actually 23 - at the beginning of the novel both her and Holly read as significantly younger than they actually are. That being said, once I got into the book, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the sisters. They stopped bickering pointlessly and started backing each other up, helping each other through their own battles.

Something I was less of a fan of was the fact that the other two main characters, Hemlock and Hawthorn also have 'H' names. Whilst it's a cute world-building detail that people all have similar beginning letter names, it's less practical in a scene where all four of them are talking, as the names all get a little mixed up. Hazel and Holly alone are okay - just maybe the other two are a bit much?

As for the two brothers, I wound up loving both of them. Neither of them are portrayed as perfect, and they both have their own little quirks and strengths. Hemlock just has the edge for me - he reminds me a lot of how I imagine Combeferre from Les Mis. I did feel that there was a bit of insta-love in the plot too - it felt like there should have been a more slow-burn romance, as the world-building leaves this open for sequels (which I would definitely read.)

(Also, sidenote: I love, love, love the dynamic between Holly and Hawthorn. You'd think she's be too nervous to tell him when to shut up, but no. This girl knows how to have banter and I'm down for that.)

It also took me a while to get used to the way that spells are cast; the author never really tells us what the characters are saying, just that they recite spells. This works pretty well, as I don't have to remember what spell goes with what, but action sequences can get a little dry when all we get is "Hazel cast xyz. Hemlock cast xyz."

I did, however, really really enjoy the plot as it progressed; the second half of the novel is definitely stronger than the first, and a couple of plot twists regarding Ash and Willow (H&H's parents) were a pleasant surprise.

If there is a sequel to this at any point, I think I'd definitely give it a read - the world-building is incredible and I definitely have a bit of a soft spot for the characters! Especially Tum, who I haven't mentioned much in this review, however, it's worth reading this for him alone. I love Tum so, so, so much. Yes. Can we get a spin-off for him, please???

I really enjoyed this story. The world building was well done; enough that I understood what was going on and not so much that it bogged down the story. The characters are all well imagined and described. Hazel was the one who got on my nerves a few times; she kept making the same bad decisions, even acknowledging she knew it was a bad idea! However, it was believable for her as a character so I managed to avoid becoming completely frustrated with her. Holly is delightful (as a big sister, I felt Hazel's pain sometimes and her pride). Hawthorn and Hemlock were great heroes and I thought their relationships with both Hazel and Holly were perfect in their dynamics and how the foursome interacted. I felt the story could have used a bit more editing. Sometimes, it dragged; it took too long to set up the next event to move the plot along. It only happened a few times though so again, not enough to annoy but enough to make me skim a few times. I would definitely read more about Hazel's and Holly's adventures and I'm quite curious about the world they live in - Snider did a good job in creating a world I want to know more about.

Hazel is a witch who's father has raised her mother's soul. She goes after him to save her mothers soul. Joined by a pair of warlocks and a wild witch named Holly, she must use the evil necromancer magic to try to save her moms soul but will her new friends support her. Loved this book. Fun, humorous, romantic and eccentric, What a great fun read!

The first rule of reading this book demands the reader not take it seriously. It is a fun, lighthearted book with a darker side. It is also unmistakably a serial story in novel form. I did not know any of the history of the book when I started reading it. If any reader likes the serial novels of the 19th century, this a book for them. Each chapter begins with action following a cliffhanger that preceded it.

The titular characters are named after trees (Holly “bushes” can get as large as trees), and the corresponding warlocks bear the same characteristics for names, along with having an “H” at the beginning. In total, the main quartet of dramatis personae are Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn, and Hemlock. Nearly every other character in the book has a plant-based name as well, some flowers, some legumes, etc (except for the cellar gnome, Tum, whose name I could not find except for maybe the acronym TUM, which is an ag/tech university in Munich that has a graduate degree in horticultural science).

The story, for a fantasy of witchcraft and wizardry, also bears some resemblance in its nature to magical realism. Some of the elements add up to absurd to anyone familiar with the genre of witchcraft fantasy, but any character reactions to absurd things seem normal, which the reader will then accept as normal for the sake of suspending disbelief. Holly’s behavior and naïveté also lend a degree of comedy, almost slapstick, to the story; she seems very nascent for her age but still bears the skill and knowledge of a formidable witch. I would describe her as uncouth as well. If she did not garner such comical reactions from the other characters, she would be utterly annoying.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, their interactions with one another, and the way they each grew separately and together. I find that is the best aspect of this book and it propelled me through the pages, eager to find out what would happen next.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, for which I give my own opinion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
I really wanted to love this book considering how much I like fantasy. It has all the elements necessary to make it work; magic, romance, a sisterly bond, however there were a few times during the plot that I questioned why certain scenes were included. For a young adult novel it would be difficult to keep the reader interested.
There were some lovely moments which were very poetic, the language creating beautiful imagery, although these moments were quite scarce in comparison to the whole book.
I can see what the writer was trying to achieve yet I can't give it more than 2.5 stars, sorry.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Double Beast Publishing!

Hazel and Holly is a charming, whimsical tale of two witch sisters with a problem: their dead mother’s soul was trapped in a geas by their necromancer father. Unfortunately, where they live, necromancy is a dark, forbidden art and its practitioners banned and shunned. Witches and warlocks also live separately from one another and there is a separation of genders wherein witches are expected to perform certain types of magics and warlocks others. Along the way, they meet two warlock brothers who couldn’t be more different from each other and who accompanies them on their adventures. All of these makes for an interesting and fanciful tale.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book is the focus on siblings. Hazel & Holly and Hemlock & Hawthorn are two sets of siblings with their own unique dynamics and problems. Both of these sets of siblings have conflicting personalities and oftentimes, there is a sense of hidden resentment between them. I think that the way these siblings were written was realistic, especially in the way they conflict with each other. As the eldest of three girls, I can relate to Hazel and Hawthorn in varying degrees with the way they interact with their siblings.

I also appreciated that the author did not pair up both sisters with both brothers, despite it looking that way for a portion of the novel. Hazel and Hemlock are cute enough, but Holly and Hawthorn is a no. I did think that the way Holly was written was kind of realistic, as she did grow up with Hazel as basically her only parental figure and she was a lot childish, especially in the first third of the book. She does undergo significant character development.

Still, despite there being a romantic subplot, it was a subplot and most of the book focuses on Hazel’s quest to free her mother’s soul. Along the way, she discovers things about herself and learns to accept her true calling. Hazel has a lot of biases and in this book, everything she knows about it kind of gets turned in on its head. I really liked Hazel’s character and enjoyed how she grows throughout the book.

All things considered, this was a good enjoyable read. So why did I give it three stars?

Despite being tagged as New Adult on Goodreads, this book reads as more middle-grade or younger YA for most of the book. The only thing that makes this adult was the ages of the characters. That in itself is not a bad thing. However, it does play on my own expectations and I was left with some disappointment because of it. Still, that alone wasn’t bad. More egregious was that while the book was titled ‘Hazel and Holly’, there is less screen-time given to Holly. I wished that she could be fleshed out more so that we can really see her mature throughout the book.

I think that an even bigger problem was really the fact that the world-building felt a lot lacking. From the beginning, I was confused with the setting, the time-period, and the magic system. It felt random and the world-building felt haphazard despite the fact that it could have been very interesting. I mean, for a while, I was confused whether it’s set in England or a secondary world (it’s set in a secondary world). A world populated by witches and warlocks and defined by their existence, beliefs, and practices could have been more unique and interesting if it had been fleshed out more.

Overall, I can recommend Hazel and Holly to those who like more lighthearted fantasy that focuses on sibling bonds with a lot of charm and whimsy. The chapters are short and the writing’s clear and easy to get through so it’s not hard to get through.

“Wild witches. Crazy like a pack of sodden badgers.” Holly’s grin widened, “And don’t you forget it.”
I had so much fun reading this. There was danger, humour, family turmoil, and romance. A wonderful story about magic, both good and bad, and the ethics of it. The story follows the sisters Hazel and Holly as they try to find their father who has cursed their mother to try and break the spell. They bring along the warlock brothers Hemlock and Hawthorn and a cellar gnome Tum. Along the way they come to find themselves and gain an understanding of their siblings. The story was quite deep at times, striving to show that the bonds we place upon ourselves are often the hardest to overcome and understand “No one ever asked her what she wanted- she never even asked herself. Her life seemed to have been a long string of duty and obligation, to be the will that kept the family together and safe. To be responsible and strong. To simply be there, no matter what.”
There were heartbreaking moments and others that made me laugh out loud. I was really impressed with this story and I hope so see more of the two sisters and brothers. I’ve grown quite fond of them and enjoy how they get along.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

DNF at 30%
Sadly, this book is not for me, it's a case of "It's me not you". I think the author wrote an awesome world-building and magic system and I loved the pet familiars and the intriguing premise of two sisters in a journey with Warlocks. The author also makes beautiful descriptions and I praise that amazing cover and the creativity in names, which was lovely. It started great but I could not connect with the characters, and also the very slow pace was a major contributing factor for me to DNF. I think this book could have been written with much fewer pages.
Nevertheless, I think the author has a lot of potential and I'll look forward to see what she writes next.

Holly and Hazel are two Witch sisters living in an idyllic little community called the Grove where Witches and Warlocks practice elemental magic.
However Hazel is unsettled in their comfortable little lives, as their estranged father has turned to the dark magic of Necromancy and trapped their dead mothers soul.
Hazel needs to muster all the strength she can, both magical and emotional to travel outside the safety of their little community to find their father and free their mother. With a little help from her sister Holly, a couple of Warlock brothers and a Cellar Gnome, of course.
This was a really enjoyable read, Hazel and Holly were both very well thought out characters that you couldn’t help getting involved in their adventure. At one point whilst doing some housework I actually found myself thinking “I wonder how Holly and Hazel are getting on?” So I was definitely engaged. So it came as no surprise to me, whilst reading the authors notes, to learn that this was originally a flash fiction story that the author then expanded and serialised on her blog. It’s that style of writing, that feeling of anticipation you get for the next part of the book that I feel keeps the reader engaged and wanting to read more.
Unfortunately Ash and Willow (Holly and Hazels parents) weren’t really substantial enough for my liking, despite the fact that the whole story revolves around the acts of these two characters there wasn’t a lot of depth in them. However this doesn’t detract from the story as Hazel and Holly (and also Hemlock and Hawthorn the two warlock brothers) are big enough characters in their own right to carry the story.
There is a promise of potentially more to come from these Sisters, I look forward to it.

Witchcraft has been a theme for me this 2019 and this was a charming addition. I usually read darker tales, but this story had charm, mysterious, and sense of watching the characters grow.

Thank you to Netgalley and Double Beast Publishing for a chance to read and review this book, Hazel and Holly by Sara C. Snider! My thoughts are my own, as always.



I give this book two stars.

Synopsis :

Nestled within an enchanted forest is the Grove, a community where witches and warlocks practice elemental magic, brew mystical potions, and lock their cellars against beer thieving gnomes. Life is quiet and uneventful. Well, except when Hazel's long-lost father uses necromancy to trap her dead mother's soul.

That simply won't do. Necromancy is forbidden in the Grove, and for good reason too. Nobody wants filthy corpses shambling around, mussing up one's garden. Hazel is determined to find her father and undo his treachery.

But despite Hazel's plans of becoming a one-woman army, she can't do everything alone. It's not until wild sister Holly convinces her to leave the house for once and go to a party that Hazel finds a pair of unlikely allies in two bickering warlock brothers.

Together, the four of them go on a journey that takes them out of the Grove and into a world where necromancy reigns and the dead won't respectfully stay in the grave. Hazel will do whatever it takes to stop her father and save her mother's soul. Even if it means turning to necromancy. Even if it means losing her friends.


I downloaded this book for our trip because it looked so cute and like a light, quick fantasy read perfect for a long bus ride or a plane. I loved that that characters weren't all 18, and I loved the sisterly bond that threaded through the story.

What I got was a book that wasn't for me. I found it long, tedious, dull, and nothing lit what I had hoped. It felt like the characters, 17, 23, and mid-thirties, were r just about 14, and the duslogue heavy snark, while charming for ten seconds, began to grate on my nerves after that.

If childish characters, a somewhat bewildering plot, and super duslogue heavy text are your thing, you will love this book. It just wasn't for me at all, and I'm disappointed.

Hazel & Holly

I Picked Up This Book Because: Cover love

The Characters:

Hazel:
Holly:
Tum, Hemlock, Hawthorne

The Story:

I love a sisterly bond and a sisterly bond on an adventure to find your father… no brainer for me, Unfortunately the book did not deliver for me. Well more like it was taking too long to deliver so I’ve moved on.

The Random Thoughts:

*DNF so no rating

Given that Hazel and Holly is one of my favorite genres, I went into this read fully expecting to be head over heels in love with it.

While I did not love this book, I did enjoy parts of it.

First of all, the entire world is magical and I was totally there for it. Hazel and Holly are both witches, but there's warlocks and gnomes (more on the gnome in a minute).

As far as magic, there's four elements: Wyr, Weaving, Hearth and Wild. And then there's necromancy which is strictly looked down upon in the Grove where Hazel and Holly live.

I'll be honest, I didn't care for any of the characters except Tum (the beer loving gnome). Holly is probably the most immature 17 year old I've read and she spent a majority of the book either whining or giggling.

Hazel is 23 and honestly she's not much better, except she speaks before thinking and ends up getting into bad situations because of it. And while both girls grow as characters somewhat, it still didn't make them much more likable at the end.

To go along with Hazel and Holly, we have Hawthorn and Hemlock who are warlock brothers. Hawthorn is the male version of Holly. He's whiny and pretentious and Holly fancies him, which isn't surprising I suppose.

Tum is by far my most favorite character in this story. He's a beer loving cellar gnome. He spends the book either trying to rob people (spoiling, is what he calls it), or drinking beer. And I dunno, it was just hilarious to me that there's a snarky drunk gnome in the book and I looked forward to when he came around in the book.

There is romance in this book, but honestly because I wasn't feeling too warmly toward the characters, I felt like the romance was almost forced feeling. They claimed suddenly they loved each other, and then made a bunch of decisions which excluded the other one, and then somehow at the end they're together and loving each other.

Overall, I absolutely loved this world. I just wish that the characters were more likable.

I give this book 3.5 stars.
This book was different.
There is no two ways about it.
From the way in which the characters and situations seem to not fit into whatever time they are in to the character development...something about the story was just not what I am used to. That doesn’t make the story bad, it just makes it...difficult to really get all the way into at first.
With that being said...

It is a fun story to read. Admittedly it took me quite a long time to read this book because of reasons listed above BUT I still enjoyed the story.

Hazel and Holly is a YA SFF about 2 sister witches who ultimately are on a mission to free their dead witch mother’s trapped soul from their estranged wizard father’s spell. It’s really more of Hazel’s, the older sister, mission not so much as Holly’s. Along the way, they befriend 2 wizard brothers and a gnome and together the odd group of 5 set off on Holly’s quest in finding her estranged dead beat wizard necromancer dad.


Hazel is a head strong but confused young women who was tasked in raising (from the sounds of it) both her younger sister and mother after their father walked out on them. Hazel’s character is totally relatable; she is all about her business and wants nothing to do with love, marriage, or other people. If she lived in modern times, she would be the type that comes home from work and just chills in yoga pants, reads books, and watches Netflix for fun when she isn’t answering stupid questions or cleaning up the messes her younger sister makes.
In the story, Hazel is trying to figure out how to navigate life as a semi teen mom while she’s also trying to figure out who she is and how she fits into her world. Hazel’s natural inclination to all of the different schools of magic (including dark magic...necromancy)both intrigued and scares her. It seems her biggest fears are becoming like her mother and father who it seems she holds both in different levels of contempt and resentment.


Holly is a few years younger than Hazel, and though she doesn’t have the same sense of independence as Hazel, she is talented in her craft. Holly is a very kind hearted, boisterous, and impulsive character. I imagined her as SJP’s character, Sarah Sanderson, in Hocus Pocus. Although she does have the ditzy quality for the better part of the first half of the story, she later comes into her own and displays her own kind of logic and sense that helps the group to not only survive but to be successful in their journey. Holly’s character, though annoying in the beginning, easily became my favorite character lending humor and also sentiment to the story.


Their mother, Willow, seemed to basically be a dead beat mom who would hang out at bars and not return home for days at a time leaving her young daughters to fend for themselves. In my mind, I imagined “for a good time, conjure Willow” etched into a few bathroom stalls in their hometown. There isn’t a lot to go on about exactly what her relationship with her daughters was like before she got sick and died, but the little there is leads me to my assessment.


I’ve never read a book that seems to be written about the 17th century with 21st century problems...even fantasy fiction. That is not necessarily a bad thing, because I am 100% sure that there were both dead beat parents and siblings raising siblings in those times, it is just not normal to read a SFF story about it. I have also never read a narrative where witches and wizards had regular effed up relationships like us muggles and I think it was very brave of Sara Snider for doing that. From what I have read, this actually started out as a blog challenge, so the unconventionality makes sense when you read it through that lens.

The world she has built, I think has great potential for expansion, and with so many other characters I would be interested to see what becomes of it.

Based on other reviews I’ve read, I think that the unexpected way the story is written throws a lot of readers off. That is not to say that there are not moments in the book when you wish it was written differently or that the story doesn’t at times go a little off the rails. I did not particularly care for the ending of the last parts of the book, as it just entirely too much going on and it seemed like the characters were ...OUT of character if that makes sense.

I think the book has a lot of potential, but we as readers have to be open to it.

I'm really not sure what to make of this book! On the one hand, I loved the characters, and the fact that it bucked the trend of damsels in distress in fantasy. The sisters, Hazel and Holly, were the protagonists, especially Hazel. They were the ones of the quest, not the two men. They also took their own decisions, made up their own minds, were strong and independent in their own right. The debate over the ethics of necromancy was interesting in general. And there was a decent amount of humour.

On the other hand, some parts were inexplicably...for want of a better word...inane. Some of the descriptions of the magical battles and spells were way too lond drawn out, and I had no idea what was happening in the climax/denouement scene! There was a lot of repetition, especially when it came to the father's motive versus Hazel's understanding. I was expecting a twist there, but it was rather tame.

Eventually, I came away with no sense of what sort of reader the story is targeting. Readers of serious fantasy are likely to be irritated by the flighly but stubborn and strong Holly, and the flamboyant Hawthorne (some stereotyping here <spoiler>his sexuality is set as a reveal at the end, but most readers will cotton on immediately</spoiler>).

(Review copy from NetGalley)