“Fantasy at its most sublime!”–Erin Morgenstern, New York Times bestselling author of THE NIGHT CIRCUS “Suspenseful, magical, wonderfully written… An essential addition to all epic-fantasy collections.” –Booklist, STARRED review A penetrating tale of magic, faith and pride… Judah is an orphaned girl with a secret gift, born at the gates of Highfall castle. Raised alongside Gavin, … gates of Highfall castle. Raised alongside Gavin, heir to Lord Elban’s empire, the two share an extrasensory bond–one that is key to Judah’s survival and her possible undoing.
Elban–as mighty as he is cruel–plans to use Judah as a pawn to amass greater control. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
But beyond the castle walls, a magus, a healer with his own powerful force, has arrived from the provinces. He, too, has designs on the realm, and at the heart of his plans lies Judah… The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon discover her own strength. Intriguingly, she does not have to be given power: she can just take it.
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The Unwilling by Kelly Breffat took me on a journey to a world in turmoil, where bad becomes worse in the blink of an eye. But, there is a glimmer of hope that only one character can see and make a reality. Unexpected and heart-rending, this fantasy tale explores themes of survival, independence, and love in a way I will not soon forget.
Favorite Character:
Elly
While I was reading, I kept thinking of Gone With the Wind, and one of the main reasons is because Elly reminds me of Mitchell’s character, Melanie. A girl who plays a part in which she is born, seeming weak and “mealymouthed,” when in actuality, she’s strong and resilient. Elly is the most prepared to live through hard times, and her will to survive is strong, as is her determination and resourcefulness. She is a very admirable character who will stick with me as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes has.
What I Liked
The emotional journey The Unwilling took me on is one that I have not experienced with any other story. It is intense and often dark. I often found myself repelled and drawn in at the same time, yearning for some glimmer of hope as things felt unbelievably hopeless. Looking back at my reading experience, I am very intrigued by the strength of a plot and of the characters that could take me on such a journey.
Elly is my favorite character, but it was a close choice between her and the main character, Judah, who has the characteristics that I typically find appealing. She is strong internally with a rebelliousness that brings a bit of fun to the role. Thumbing her nose at the rules of society, as well as the adults in charge, is something she does daily. She is smart, quick to take in a situation, and wears her differences as a badge of honor. She has moxie, and I do love a character with moxie.
The world-building is good with a history woven into the current day story that makes it pretty easy to understand what is going on and how things got to be where they are. I found that there is a stark contrast between the prologue and the rest of the story. Most of the story is set in the colorful city of Highfall, but the prologue takes place outside the city in the caravan’s travels. The caravan’s world read very stark and basic, which was in direct contrast to the courtier life in the city.
What I Wish
I wish that the ending could have been different. I can’t say any more than that because I don’t want to spoil the story for those who haven’t read it, but I felt that I needed to say at least that much.
To Read or Not to Read
If you love intense emotional journeys and impossible choices, this is the book for you!
Thank you to NetGalley, MIRA books, and Harlequin Trade for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Review
What a rich and dark fantasy the author has crafted! The narrative is greatly layered between the YA Fantasy from the two main protagonist’s POV, and the darker, more spine-chilling fantasy and horror that the journey takes readers on. The atmosphere and tone the author set for the novel really elevated the reader’s experience, drawing them further and further into the mystery and history of this world.
The mythos and the character growth was the most prominent aspect of these narratives. The shocking cruelty of the antagonists and the heartfelt bond the protagonists and the supporting characters made with one another elevated the emotional undercurrents of this book, while the rich history and mythology the author developed opened up some pretty mind-blowing and thought-provoking fantasy elements that left readers eager to read more.
The Verdict
A masterful, creative, and emotional dark fantasy read, author Kelly Braffet’s “The Unwilling” is the perfect start to a brand new mythos and series. The rich historical and mythological development the author wrote and the engaging way the characters not only drew readers in, but the engaging interactions between these characters really made this novel shine brightly.
When I first read the blurb for this book I was all over it. A foundling with a special gift? And unnatural bond?? A cruel mighty lord??? Heck yes. This had dark political intrigue all over it and I wanted in. Unfortunately I wasn’t quite prepared for exactly how dark this story was, but I still found the twists and turns of the story super intriguing.
From the very beginning in the prologue, the universe and magic system of this world captured my attention. The people being paired up with their blood compatibility and testing children for magic—I wanted to know more and that feeling carried me through the book. I wanted to unlock all the secrets and find out what Judah’s power was. The way this universe is constructed is great and I liked all the political intrigue.
Plus, the characters are fun too. Judah is such a strong female protagonist and watching her strange bond with Gavin was so cool! I admit that Gavin wasn’t exactly my favorite, but he pales in comparison to his evil creeptastic father King Elban who gave me an extreme case of the heebie jeebies. And because I have a weakness for puffy cinnamon roll characters, Theron and his nerdiness was my favorite of the bunch.
How dark this book turned out to be is what shocked me the most, so don’t go in expecting your normal young adult fantasy. My emo soul isn’t one to be squeamish, so it wasn’t hard for me to get past, but I know others might have trouble with it. I was also very confused through the first several chapters. There are a lot of players in this story from the very beginning and my brain kept confusing everyone and tried to make connections that weren’t there. Once I let myself relax into it, I was fine, but it took me a hot minute to acclimate myself.
~FINAL WORD~
This book definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. By the end, I was able to get lost in the story and the characters, but it definitely took me a little while to enjoy it.