Laura Powell
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.
And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not.
My thoughts on the book:
Burn Mark takes place in an alternate London where the Inquisition and witch burnings never stopped occurring. The idea, world-building, and characters are top-notch, however, the pacing is extremely slow. That's the only reason that this book didn't get an A. I'm definitely looking forward tot he next book in the series.
I really enjoyed the idea of modern-day burning times in which witches either registered with the Inquisition and helped fight other witches or formed illegal mob-type gangs. The magical organized crime was a unique twist, and I enjoyed seeing things from both Glory's third person limited POV as well as Lucas' third person limited POV. Glory was born into a witch gang, and Lucas' dad was the Chief Prosecutor of the Inquisition. The alternating POVs was an intriguing way to explain the world Powell had created.
Glory was a bit self-absorbed at times, but overall, I liked her. If I'd lived her life, I probably would have been a bit self-absorbed, too. She had a lot of stress and pressure on her, and no one was what they seemed. Also, growing up without a mother had to have been hard for her. She was fairly easy to relate to, and she was a strong character who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. Glory was a bit brash and rude at times, but that added to her charm, in my opinion. I can't wait to see what happens to her next!
Lucas was a good leading male character. He was interesting and very obviously good. He wasn't a tortured soul, so there was no emo ranting or anything from him, which was a relief. I cannot stand angst-filled guys in real life or in books. It's just annoying. While he didn't always make the best decision, he was doing his best to find his way. Lucas grew a ton throughout the course of this novel. Since he wasn't expecting to have the Fae, so he had a lot of adjusting to do. I think he'll make better decision in the sequel.
My main complaint with this book is that the pacing was so slow in the beginning. It was well over 100 pages before Lucas and Glory even met. The first half of the book was mostly just world-building. I admit the extensive world-building helped with the understanding of the last half of the book, but I think that more of the plot could have been woven into the world-building. The clear divide between world-building and plot was annoying. Because of this, there wasn't much romance. However, there seems to be a brewing romance that will develop more in the following books.
Overall, I'd recommend Burn Mark to anyone who enjoys a good witch story. The concept is unique, the characters are easy to relate to, and the world-building is fantastic. You won't want to miss this one.
Want to buy Burn Mark?
Giveaway
Alright everyone, as promised, I am offering a giveaway for an ARC of Burn Mark! Since I am shipping this ARC myself, the giveaway is US only. Sorry international friends! I promise, I'll have an international giveaway soon. Just fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
This book sounds good! I've been chatting with other bloggers on my site about worldbuilding vs pacing. It's such a tough balance. I tend to prefer fast-paced novels, but stellar worldbuilding can't be beat. Nice review!
ReplyDeleteNice review! The book sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou said that it's a good witch story but still you have some serious issues against. Winning this contest means a big opportunity to read it. If I'll like it I'll buy it immediately.
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