When disaster strikes and the crown prince lies poisoned, long suppressed rivalries threaten to blow the empire apart. It’s up to a poor village girl with a talent for fragrances and the prince’s loyal bodyguard to find an antidote.
To succeed, the pair must uncover secrets – cryptic, ancient tales as well as buried truths from their own pasts – in an adventure that will ignite your senses.
More info on Goodreads.....
Review:
The Darkest Bloom is P.M. Freestone’s debut novel and the first in her Shadowscent series, sweeping readers into a passionate fantasy world where the power of scent reigns supreme and an unknown enemy is determined to change the empire.
In the kingdom of Aramtesh, scent has power and when the crown prince is poisoned, two unlikely allies must join forces in order to save him. Rakel is a poor village girl, hoping to build a life for herself in the capital using her healing abilities and talent for fragrances. Ash is a Shield—best friend and bodyguard of Prince Nasai—and a man of secrets. They couldn’t be more different, but when Nasai is poisoned, they must travel together in search of an antidote. Uncovering the clues and ancient secrets proves tricky but with time running out for the prince, Rakel and Ash will need to trust in one another if they have any hope of succeeding.
After heading into The Darkest Bloom unsure what I would find, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. P.M. Freestone’s debut was reminiscent of Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study series and features a well told plot and beautiful writing. Adventurous in nature, all the fantasy elements I love were present in The Darkest Bloom—danger, magic, romance, excitement—just what I needed to get sucked into the story.
The story unfolds through the varying perspectives of main characters Rakel and Ash. I enjoyed the opportunity to follow them both in equal measure throughout the story and found myself really liking them both as characters. They have two distinct voices and personalities that complement one another. After beginning a shaky alliance, it was satisfying seeing them come to trust and rely on one another more as their journey progressed. Rakel is a genuine and strong willed heroine who is quick thinking while Ash is more guarded and restrained—the reason for this restraint becoming clear as the novel reaches its final few chapters—though he is undeniably capable in most areas.
I loved Ash’s closeness to his friend and charge, prince Nasai, and felt the two had a wonderful friendship. There an underlying romantic element that simmers between Rakel and Ash as they grow closer during The Darkest Bloom. Slow blossoming, but sweet with so much potential, the romance between them is just enough to fit with the action, danger and sense of adventure that comes with the story.
The Darkest Bloom offers a glimpse into a very intriguing fantasy world. P.M. Freestone begins the Shadowscent series extremely well and ends this chapter of Rakel and Ash’s story with a cliffhanger ending that is guaranteed to have readers keen to get their hands on the next novel. Highly enjoyable, The Darkest Bloom is well worth a read for fantasy lovers and leaves me ready to read the sequel as soon as it comes out!
Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Format: Paperback ARC
Australian RRP: $16.99
Release Date: February 7th 2019
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: I highly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for leaving a comment at The Rest Is Still Unwritten! I read each and every comment, even if I don't reply to them all and appreciate your interest in my blog.
Hope you have a great day and Happy Reading!
~Rachel
xoxo