STORMSONG by C. L. PolkReview: 3.5/5 Stars I’ll be honest. I was not at all a fan of Grace&rsq

STORMSONG by C. L. PolkReview: 3.5/5 Stars I’ll be honest. I was not at all a fan of Grace’s character in Witchmark. I went into Stormsong expecting much of the same. I was pleasantly surprised by what I discovered; a beautiful portrait of a flawed woman raised in a life of privilege learning and attempting to take responsibility for her mistakes and her upbringing. I loved the trajectory of her growth, and admired her absolute unwillingness to compromise her beliefs. While Witchmark was a psychological, medical mystery, Stormsong was a political thriller. I enjoyed learning about the world, Laneer in particular, although I would have liked to see more outside Aeland. The novel remained character and plot focused which I appreciated, but the world-building suffered somewhat for it. Still, the characters were captivating enough to make up for it. Besides Grace, Avia shone as a remarkably crafted, whip smart troublemaker, equal to it not surpassing Grace in her unflinching dedication to her values. I loved learning more about Robin and her culture. It was an utter delight to see Tristan and Miles again, and I was happy to see their love is alive and well. Even the villains were well-established, her nefarious father and vile Ray. (What a beautifully crafted adversary for Grace. Every inch the coddled, bratty, entitled white male asshole, I spent the whole book dying for Grace to put him in his place and was delighted when she finally succeeded.)Meanwhile, of course, Grace and Avia stole my heart. Although Grace’s feelings for Avia appeared somewhat out of the blue and felt a bit like insta-love, I enjoyed their delightfully slow-burn relationship regardless. As a queer woman myself it is always delightful to see myself reflected in the worlds that I loveFurthermore, as a student of psychology I was impressed by the honest and delicate portrayal of Miles’ PTSD and trauma. Once again Polk evidences research and respect for a difficult topic, handling it with grace. Not all novels are capable of treading lightly but also providing a realistic portrayal.Overall, I enjoyed this book significantly. I would have liked to see a little more outside of Aeland, and I think it could have been paced a little differently at times, but it was a fun and sweet read regardless.SONG PAIRING: The Dress Looks Nice On You by Sufjan Stevens -- source link

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