Wednesday, June 6, 2018

{Review} Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

35144326
Page Count: 400
Published on: June 5, 2018 
Published by: Entangled Teen
Genre(s): Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Source: ARC - provided by publisher (THANKS!!)
Age Rating: YA
Where To Find ItGoodreads // Amazon
Book Depository: {click here}

My Rating: 5 stars








Goodreads synopsis:

Zera is a Heartless – the immortal, unageing soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a Prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum; if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy her heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him – every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him – until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The Prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally.



~~~

Hey, guys!

Bring Me Their Hearts was sent to me by Entangled Teen for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not paid for this review. Thank you so much, Entangled Teen, for sending me one of my favorite books of the year so far!

      Zera is a Heartless. She is controlled by the witch, Nightsinger, who holds her heart and controls her through the magical bond that they share. As a Heartless, Zera is under the full control of her witch as her soldier. Un-aging and under the mercy of the witch, Zera is set with the mission to infiltrate the human royal court in order to stop the impending war between the witches and humans. She is sent to the court and told to seduce and steal the heart of the Crown Prince Lucien d'Malvane. 

      Bring Me Their Hearts takes place in Wolf's magical, almost medieval, world where humans and witches are at war with one another. This book was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I adore the characters, the world, the plot, the sass, the political plotline, the emotions throughout, the conflict, EVERYTHING! This book had me completely s h o o k. It was completely different from what I expected, yet exactly what I needed. Sara Wolf has masterfully crafted a beautiful beginning to an epic fantasy series that I cannot wait to continue. 

     Zera is just a fantastically written character. She's so complex and three dimensional. I cannot wait to see where her story continues. She was just so fascinating to read about and I loved her story. She gave me some serious Manon (Throne of Glass) vibes...only a bit tamer. Her story took a completely different turn from what I was expecting. I really was expecting it to be more along the lines of a high fantasy version of The Selection with murder and witches, but it was more action-packed and dark like Sarah J. Maas and Holly Black's work. Zera's relationships with the people she cared about were so well done. Though she is not technically a human, she hasn't lost her humanity or her ability to empathize and try to understand what is happening around her. 

    When I first began this book, I was going into it expecting to hate Nightsinger, however, I actually love her. She has so much potential and I really hope that Zera and Nightsinger's relationship develops over the course of the second book. The relationships that Zera has with the other Heartless that Nightsinger has created was really nicely developed as well. I love how Zera's relationships shaped her being as a person and as a Heartless. Though she doesn't have many memories of her time as a human, she doesn't let the troubles she faces to shape her actual being. She is still compassionate, sarcastic, and she questions everything. She doesn't take everything at face value. She works to improve herself and to stay educated on her world even if she is seen as a monster. I love the strength that this girl shows. She's a beast. I also have to mention that she has the best interactions with Lady Y'shennria, Lucien, and Malachite. Their banter and interactions are gold. Zera doesn't let anyone determine her worth.  

"Where's your corset?"
"I tried it on," I assure her. "Five minutes of not being able to breathe was enough, thank you."
"It's the fashion," she insists. "From Helkyris."
"Well now it's the fashion from Helkyris that's in the garbage can."
~ Zera interacting with Y'shennria ~
(quote taken from an uncorrected proof)




     I also really adored the world that Wolf has created. The world building is phenomenal. The amount of detail that has gone into this series is quite evident. The snippets and hints about the religions, the wars, the history, the cultures...they were just enchanting and I cannot wait to visit this world again. Sara Wolf has a genuine talent for creating worlds. I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. I would die if I could get an ARC or something. Book #2 will be on my "GET ASAP" list of books -- hopefully, it comes out in 2019. 

     Overall, I adored this book. It is on par with the masterful work of Sarah J. Maas, Margaret Rogerson, Leigh Bardugo, Tahereh Mafi, and Holly Black. It has all of the makings of a fantastic fantasy series. I'm so so so excited to see what Sara puts out next. Wolf's Bring Me Their Hearts deserves every praise that I can heap upon it. 

5/5 stars 
BRING ME THEIR HEARTS IS OUT NOW!

Reviews for Authors Mentioned:
  • Sarah J. Maas {click here}
    • I have read nearly all of her books, so it's just easier to embed the link to the whole tag!
  • Tahereh Mafi

  • Margaret Rogerson
Happy reading!
Olivia
~LivTheBookNerd~

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