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Indie Book Review: The City of Snow and Stars

THE CITY OF SNOW AND STARS by S.D. Howard

4 Stars

Verdict: A dark fantasy with a wholesome cast. 

Trigger warning for rape/abuse. 

'I'm not wanted for me, only what I can give, and there is nothing left.'

I don't usually quote books, but this is a very quotable story! The dialogue was powerful in places, and the way the characters bonded together was the strength of this Christian fantasy adventure.  

It's written in third person with a narrative that I personally found a little distant at times. That said, the characters are easy to root for. Runaways Trinia and Jayden team up with a wizard to take down Trinia's abusive father before he can take over the kingdom. They're joined by a talking wolf and a shapeshifter called Batanny, who in many ways seems like an older version of Trinia. Threads of pain run through this book and pull the characters together in a way that makes this dark read still feel wholesome at times. 

It soon became an easy to enjoy fantasy adventure with Christian themes, although the pace is a little up and down. There was a lull in the middle which I felt could have been avoided with a little less travelling, perhaps no flashbacks, and cutting away scenes that didn't necessarily add to the book - and showing ones first-hand which could have helped with the overall pace. 

But the lulls pass and the story picks back up, stronger than before. 

The story also deals with difficult topics such as rape and abuse in a way that mainstream books steer clear from. I found the author handled these with care, especially via Batanny and Trinia's friendship, which was used to help deal with the difficult topics in a dignified way. I still offer a word of warning to anyone who might find those types of situation triggering. 

The ending twists together in an exciting way. It took a while to get the ending, and it was over quite quickly compared to the build up, but it didn't happen the way I was expecting. That's exactly what I want from an ending - something unexpected that makes sense and ties book one up in a satisfying knot, ready for book two. 

Source: With thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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