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The mythology within the country of Kethra was absolutely magnificent. There was a whole pagan set of gods and goddesses. I loved all the different "levels"(?), might not be the right word. Can I please have an encyclopedia of all the gods in this world? I want to learn more right now. So when the king himself offers her a job, she can't resist the massive reward he offers-even if it means working with Captain Elander, the arrogant, mysterious right-hand to that king. Overall, there isn't anything in particular that I strongly disliked about this book. I think it did everything well but it didn't have anything that stood out to me as being amazing. I recommend this if you're looking for a fantasy-romance series with a badass female main character. I'll definitely keep reading the rest of the series!
It was so much fun revisiting the world from the Serpents and Kings trilogy, with all the gods, myths and magic! New characters and new events, so you don't have to read the former trilogy before you read this book (although I highly recommend that you do, because it's damn good!). If you haven't read the Serpents and Kings trilogy you might have to spend some time getting to know the world, but no more than you usually do when starting a new series. However, Casia will have to work closely with the infuriatingly charming Captain of the Peace Keeping regiment of the King's army, Elander Revenmar. I do feel like this book is really an introduction to this series. It wasn’t that plot-heavy. We got little pieces of the plot but it wasn’t all that clear why the characters did what they did.
Customer reviews
Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: completing whatever her latest job is, and earning enough coin to buy the expensive medicine that's keeping her mentor alive. Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: completing whatever her latest job is and earning enough coin to buy the expensive medicine that's keeping her mentor alive. I also feel like I should mention that Gaither goes pretty heavy on info-dumping in the very first chapters. Add to it that their writing was overly descriptive, stiff and impossibly impersonal, and you'll get why I was in so much pain. I'll give the author that, but the writing was dull and it felt very YA-ish, which caused both the characters and their dialogues to also read as YA.
This infuriating Captain Elander also has secrets: A past that Cas can’t seem to uncover, a powerful but strange brand of magic, and a deep distrust of the very monarch that he’s sworn to serve. She feels oddly drawn to him in spite of these things… It gives off major Throne of Glass vibes (which, okay, I didn't like either - but in my defense, I was at least able to finish that one), and hadn't it been for the unsufferable MC, the confusing world-building and the tedious way it was described, I probably would have tried harder to make it at least to the halfway mark. I think the pacing in general was good but sometimes it felt off especially midway. The action-scenes helped in keeping me invested in the story and the tension-building kept me on edge about what's to happen. Speaking of the couple, Cas and Elander's chemistry was off the roof the moment they met. They served delicious banter, slowburn tension, and all of that added so much to the amazing chemistry between them.Casia works as a mercenary with a group of outlaws thanks to their magic. Trouble stirs and they are caught by the guards of the King-Emperor Varen. As the bodies pile up and strange monsters begin to wreak havoc throughout the realms, Cas and Elander will have to work together to protect their world whether they like it or not. Because one thing is clear: Something ancient and evil is stirring in the shadows of that world. The magic system is interesting and in The Song of the Marked, we got glimpses of how powerful the magic can be. I am really looking forward to seeing these powers displayed fully. The first chapter sounded interesting, although I should have read into the signs the universe was giving me when I caught myself reading the same few paragraphs over and over again because I couldn't focus on the things my braian was trying to process.
The Song of the Marked is a book I could not put down because I was immediately drawn to the story and the characters. But in a land brimming with old magic and meddling gods, nothing is ever that simple, and nothing is ever what it seems. THERE WAS A GOOD mixture of fantasy and romance, my favorite combination in a book ❤️ The fantasy world was interesting, not like anything I've previously read before so that's always good.I adored the characters in this book! They were radiant and alive and each was tinged with a unique personality and a voice. The author did an excellent job at setting them apart and creating such an amazing chemistry between not only the couple, but all the characters. Unfortunately, working alongside him also means working with the handsome but infuriating captain of one of the most prestigious branches of the Kethran Army. As someone who's sworn off YA books for good -with a few exceptions, of course-, that was definitely one of the reason I ended up struggling with this book. Then there's Elander. I wasn't sure what to think of him at first. The way his relationship with Cas developed was really well done. They had some good jibs and banter, but also a couple soft moments, including a steamy scene. The ending was a bit wild. I was confused at parts, even though I guessed the "big reveal". The way the "villain" was revealed was kind of anti-climactic, because I was just so confused to their motivations in the moment.
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