Book Blurb:
She doesn’t remember her past. But some memories come with a cost.
Eira Eckhart has spent years building a quiet life in a small town at the edge of a recently overthrown kingdom. Her memory is fractured, her past a blur—but with her shop, her loyal rabbit familiar, and practicing only the potions magic still legal under the watchful eye of the Iron Empire, she’s managed to remain unnoticed by the empire’s witch hunters.
Until Hugo Venton walks through her door.
Brash, clever, and infuriatingly handsome, Hugo is searching for something…and seems to know more about Eira than she knows about herself. But when a terrifying encounter with an unnatural, deadly new breed of soldier puts a price on her head, she has no choice but to join Hugo on his quest.
Their hunt for a missing princess pulls Eira across the continent—and deeper into a past she can’t recall. As buried memories, mysteries in the Iron Empire’s capital, forgotten feelings, and the truth behind her identity begin to surface, Eira realizes the forbidden magic simmering in her veins might be the very thing that could save them from the Iron Empire’s forces as they draw ever closer…if she can remember how to control it in time.
Tropes:
*Netgalley ALC *Romantasy *Witch FMC *Memory Loss FMC *Magic
*forbidden magic *Guard MMC *political drama *Fantasy *Curvy FMC *Hidden Identity
*Bodyguard Romance *Touch her and 💀 *Forbidden Romance *spice
*ends in a cliffhanger *Multiple POV's *undead soldiers *one sided yearning (MMC)/ insta lust (FMC)
Thoughts:
Eira has spent several years working in her shop as a potions witch (not illegal) while most magic has been banned and with the rising power doing an actual witch hunt from the Iron Empire who has made it well known that if you are a witch your life is at it's end.
There is a big problem in Eira's life though she has no longer term memories she's seen a doctor who thinks maybe she hit her head and perhaps the memories will return eventually but so far nothing. She has a Rabbit familiar who at times she feels can actually understand what she's saying... hmm.
Eira's life gets turned upside down the minute Hugo (MMC) comes into her shop, he is handsome but she manages to get caught up with him at the wrong time and now they are on the run from the Iron Empire guards... ones that are after Hugo for leaving them very recently he was one of their high up commanders but found out a lot of shady things were happening and he wasn't for it so he has gone to seek out Eira and the missing princess who everyone presumes is dead along with the rest of her family when they were over thrown.
Eira however is of no help in that matter she doesn't remember Hugo at all, turns out he served her family as a guard prior to the collapse of the kingdom... when he mentions the princess she has no idea what he's talking about she's just a common potions witch how could she be friends with a princess?
This is told from 3 different POV's Eira's, Hugo's and Rhona a female guard currently working for the Iron Empire.
As Hugo and Eira set out to find the princess together and see if there are any remaining witches able to help with her memory loss, truths come to the surface and their attraction goes from simmering to full on bubbling over. Naturally they get closer together on their trip staying in Inn's and staying hidden from capture.
Eira has to figure out who she can trust, can she trust Hugo? He used to lead hunts to find witches just like her. He says they used to be close but she doesn't remember any of it and now she's just as wanted as he is they are in a dangerous situation and things are not looking good.
Hugo does a lot to prove that he has changed and wants to be a better man, he's no longer that soldier following orders blindly his eyes are opened and he now lives with the guilt of what he did under direct orders from his commanding officer, but is that enough to prove that he is worthy of forgiveness?
Then there are undead super soldiers that have come after Hugo and Eira... what is going on?
Rhona is a soldier dedicated to the cause she is one of very few females in this job and takes it seriously so she is even surprised with herself when she finds that there is a noble woman who is a witch still alive and in the city, she's even more surprised when she begins to work together with her to try to figure out why people are going missing and other strange things happening... what started as her saying it was for the good of the empire by the end of the book turns into something is off and maybe she has been on the wrong side of this battle all along.
There are a few twists and turns along the way and I liked that there was kind of a side love story happening with Rhona as well.
This ends in a cliffhanger and apparently is planned as a trilogy, I got this ALC from netgalley and thank them + the author for this alc copy. The narrator did a good job bringing the story to life and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series since this one ended in a cliffhanger.
Some Negatives for this book:
The book doesn't have as much world building for those looking for an epic romantasy --> a lot of it I think is shrugged off as kind of she lost her memory... but the other characters have their memories. We don't really know how the magic works other than a witch can tap into the "flow" which is where the magical abilities come from most witches only have one ability (potions, or elemental magic for instance) but this isn't well described.
The MMC participated in helping to try to completely wipe out a whole group of people (witches) but is "sorry" the FMC seems to be ok with this without much back and forth and frequently defends him to others throughout the book.
This was a lower spice book but what was there didn't add to the story, our FMC is curvier but the same words are used to describe her body, and at one point he "loves her curves" and loves how he can "grab handfuls and handfuls" of her super soft body... I think it would have been better without the spice sections.
The long term yearning can be seen from the MMC's side but the FMC doesn't remember him so on her side it's more insta lust/love feeling.
Dialogue is awkward at times, certain parts that should feel more emotional are glossed over, gives more of a YA feeling read.
left with a lot of unanswered questions, I am interested in this enough to want to continue the series so I guess we'll see if any are answered in the next book.
Have you read this one? what did you think?
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