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A review by maggiestraveledbookshelf
White Horse Black Nights by Evie Marceau
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
๐ White Horse Black Nights
๐ Book 1 of the Godkissed Bride series
โ๐ป Evie Marceau
โ๏ธ Fantasy Romance
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
โ๐๐โ๐ง๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ข๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐. ๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ. ๐ผ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐โ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง.โ
An overall fun and intriguing romantasy! The ending of this book really bumped everything up a notch.
Overview:
โขSnow White Retelling (ish)
โขForbidden Romance
โขForced Proximity
โขBodyguard x Forced Bride
โขSelective Magic Powers
๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ, ๐ฎ ๐ด๐ผ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐, ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ผ๐น๐ณ, ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ป-๐๐ผ-๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ต๐๐๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑโ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ต๐๐ป๐๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ป.
First and foremost, the majority of this book involves Sabine traveling for almost three weeks on horseback - while wearing zero clothes, as mandated by her betrothed. Apparently this aspect is a retelling of the Lady Godiva legend, but it still felt WILD.
I really loved how the author incorporated the retelling elements of Snow White with this unique magic system. The FMC, Sabine, can mind-speak with all animals, and there were a few scenes in particular that were frankly SO cool.
โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐จ ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ค๐ ๐ช๐จ, ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐๐. ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ.โ
Sabineโs interesting background gave her depth and empathy, and I loved how she processed the difficult situations around her. She somehow walked the line between Dreamer and Realist, which played out in authentic ways.
โ๐ ๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐. ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐โ๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ. ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ก๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐๐โฆ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃโ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐จ.
While I appreciated Wolfโs protective nature and empathized with his turbulent upbringing, I had a hard time with a few of his decisions. His character reminded me a lot of TOGโs Chaol (who I love), so Iโm excited to see where his arc goes.
โ๐๐๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐. ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐๐๐ง๐โ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐โ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐. ๐๐๐โ๐จ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐๐ก๐.โ
The combination of the bodyguard trope and the forbidden romance created such a fun, sizzling chemistry between the MCs. However, I personally wanted a little more slow burn to their relationship development.
The last 20% of this book escalated quickly and was the strongest part of the narrative. I loved all the elements of political intrigue and the additional characters. This opened up the whole world building and set up the series to expand so well.
Special shout out to my favorite scene:
โ๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ? ๐พ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐จ? ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐ข๐๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง: ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐โ๐ก๐ก ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ.โ
If you had asked me in the middle of this book, Iโm not sure I would feel inclined to continue the series. But after the last third? Iโm invested.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun fantasy retelling with forbidden romance vibes!
โจ available via kindle unlimited โจ