Blooms of Darkness: The Broken Prophecy Book 1

World Building

Until recently, I wasn’t reading much for fun, and now that I am, I have dived into some pretty fantastical worlds (no pun intended)! The world of Brookmere is clear in my mind and the balance of “show, don’t tell,” that all writers have to contend with was perfect for me. There were many late nights spent being consumed by this world and despite the busy-ness of life, it was not hard to dive back in between reading sessions.

Characters

As most readers can attest, I am a sucker for good characters. The story is told through the point of view of Illiana, or Lana, the female main character (FMC) with a couple of chapters from Kade, the male main character (MMC)

Lana is a lot of fun to follow along with. Despite her lack of magical abilities, she is fierce, empathetic and strong. She is not your typical princess and the relationships she has with minor characters like Ian and Kalliah are playful and heartwarming.

Kade is a character who will stick with you long after this novel is done. I am so glad that there are other books to come in this series because he was my favorite. The brief switch in POV allowed you to get inside his head (HINT – it’s an intense place to be!), but added great depth to not only his character but the storyline. He is a dark and brooding Fae with the power to wield shadow magic, but there is definitely more than meets the eye.

Even though Kade’s character is very dark, Ian’s character is a great juxtaposition. Everyone needs a guy like Ian in their lives. He is not only Lana’s personal guard but a dear friend and fearless protector. The dichotomy of Kade vs. Ian at times was quite hilarious, in a good way, and I don’t think the book would be the same without Ian.

Pacing

Since this is a slow burn from a romance standpoint, the pacing was appropriate to the theme. There were moments of high tension/conflict and others that were more contemplative or calm. There was great attention to the story arc, but it didn’t feel predictable. Given certain tropes, the reader has assumptions on how the book will play out, but there were a great number of engaging twists and turns as the marriage trials begin and the conflict ebbed and flowed as necessary.

The cliffhanger makes me so excited for Book #2, though I do think this book could be a standalone for those who don’t want to read the series.