*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

To escape a world flooded by dangerous magic, humans sought safety by fleeing underground. They kept the monsters at bay for a long time, but evolution has a way of catching up to you, and change is the only constant. Azzy and Armin are siblings with extraordinary gifts. Unfortunately, in the underground town of Heap, these are the kinds of gifts that get a person banished to the Above—the surface where magic has twisted and tainted people and animals into unrecognizable predators. The siblings’ quest to find each other again leads them to new lands, new friends, and new revelations about their mysterious past.


There’s a lot going on, in a good way. The story starts simply, a dystopian future so dystopian and so future it’s come right back around to feeling like a classic fantasy. The first few chapters felt like straightforward storylines from Lord of the Rings, D&D, and City of Ember, but with each new interaction and revelation, another thread appeared, and another and another, and felt more like a tapestry of deftly woven fairy tales, Emerald City, and Monstress, until I forgot to compare it to anything else because I was too invested in it to think of other stories.

The horror elements are fantastic, and don’t feel out of place at all beside the rough-spun tunics of fantasy, flickering electric lights of dystopia, or the alien-feeling humanoid people populating the surface.

I think the most subtle, and interesting, question this book asks is “what does it mean to be human?” When magic has penetrated and transformed nearly every human on the planet, does the definition of “human” evolve with their evolution? Or will people be defined by the purity tests of a handful of seemingly unchanged holdouts? Who is more “human” between someone with no magic and full of cruelty, and someone with seven mouths and full of compassion?

The summary (on GoodReads, at least) seems little misleading, because it mentions how magic entered the world, and also teases that Armin’s powers would be used to open the Gate again, and I don’t think either of these are actually explained in the book? Unless I missed something important. Which is possible. Not a big deal, but I noticed it.

The best praise I can give is that I can’t stop thinking about it, and the more I think about it, the more nuances I notice. And of course, I can’t wait to find out what happens in book 2.

Rating: five stars.

Kristin Jacques's novel is very fast-paced, so fast-paced that I had a hard time following what was going on. There are makings of an interesting world but it is not explained enough to make me invested in it or the characters. So many things are mentioned and as a reader it is to be understood that these things are important to the world and the characters: The Rot, The Above, The Snatchers.. While I do understand the gist of why these things are important. The Rot is some sort of sickness that erupts every now and then - many people dies from it. The main characters live underground because of this, and The Above is well, the land above ground where some other people lives. The Snatchers kidnap people from the underground to sell as slaves to the people above ground. All that is pretty simple to understand but I would SO have enjoyed the story more if it would have explained why all this was relevant to the story. That didn't happen, unfortunately. This left me confused which in turn made me not really care about any of the characters. I didn't understand their role in their own story.

This turned out to be an intense dystopian story that actually felt more like a fantasy. It’s set in a future when mankind have retreated below ground to escape the horrors unleashed above. Magic is a taint that twists and alters those infected meaning monsters roam at will and normal humans fear for their lives.
We meet Azzy who lives with her brother Armin and their guardian in Heap, an underground city that’s gradually decaying. Azzy is caring, resourceful and frequently ventures above seeking herbs or anything useful as she knows it’s only a matter of time before her brothers infection is discovered. Of course things take a bad turn and Armin is cast out but when Azzy follows him it’s only to discover a horrible betrayal and Armin has been taken by grotesque traders who intend to auction him off !
Azzy is the perfect heroine and although most of this book is taken up by her journey we do get glimpses from other perspectives. I’ve no wish to reveal too much but expect Shifters, Witches and all manner of fantastical creatures. The magical elements are very intriguing and in spite of the books blurb revealing something there’s actually very little here that explains just exactly what has happened and why. I would have perhaps liked slightly more description about some of the monsters encountered so I could picture them but honestly that’s a minor niggle. I can honestly say I absolutely loved this story and was constantly surprised by this dark world and I’m already desperate to find out what happens next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing! The writing is beautiful and I loved the characters!
Can't wait for the sequel!

**Will be posted to my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on 9/18/2019**

Thank you to The Parliament House and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I requested this book on NetGalley because of the cover, I love it. I guess I’m in a very dark mood lately with the change in seasons coming. The blurb sounded fascinating, and I love the words around the title, “as above, so below”. I have to say that intrigued me. By the way, I am NOT a horror fan usual, but I love this book.

The book blurb begins with some lost history of Avergard, but I forgot about the blurb when I started reading and I don’t remember anything about the Third Reich being mentioned in the story, unless I just missed it? 🤔 What did catch my attention was the writing. This is a beautifully told story, the words seeming effortless to describe this detailed world of the Above and Below. But let me just say, this is a dark tale.

The world in Marrow Charm is divided into the Above and the Below. Azure, or Azzy, has always lived below. And ohhhh boy did I not want to live there with her. Azzy grew up hearing about the monsters that live Above. But…as above, so below. There are scary things below! I was terrified for her life! And mine…even though I didn’t live there. 😂 Now I was trying to figure how to categorize this book…fantasy? But it seemed post-apocalyptic as well, so it is an interesting mix of both I suppose.

The world building is detailed and there was always something new to learn up until the last chapters when we actually get to Avergard. For most of the story we navigate the Below and Above with Azzy, as she tries to find her brother Armin. The separate journeys of Azzy and Armin in this book is harrowing, painful, suspenseful, and heart-breaking. But it’s not only Azzy and Armin trying to find their way, we meet secondary characters along the way that make this tale feel so rich with personalities, danger, mistrust, and hope.

Did I already mention this is dark? There is violence. There is a lot of blood, and despair and but I believed in Azzy. That girl is a survivor with powers we don’t fully understand yet. She is so determined to find her brother and I have to hope she will. And speaking of powers, this is a world of magic, especially in the Above where it seems valued in Avergard. Below, having skills like being an apothecary was very important. I loved learning about Brixby and his skill as an apothecary.

The story is emotional due to the relationship between Azzy and Armin. You can feel the love between them as siblings and I just pray Azzy can reunite with Armin. I just want it all to work out in the end for these characters I fell in love with. Is there a romance? A slight infusion of it with Azzy and a journey companion she meets. I hope to see where that storyline goes.

The story ends in the city of Avergard and once more I feel like there will be a lot to learn about this city. There is so much to uncover in this world of Marrow Charm, it seems to be unending, which I love. I love the layers I got to dig into with this story. I can’t wait to read the next book!

There are witches, shape shifters, high lords that rule with fear and we will most definitely learn more about them in the sequel. The thing I need in the sequel is to know the history of The Gate. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and went looking to see where I could find a hardcopy or paperback for my shelf but so far I only see it in ebook form? It’s an amazing book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

A unique book, Marrow Charm follows Azzy, a young woman who must fight in order to save her twin brother Armin's life when he is sent to the Above. Even with the higher fantasy/sci fi plot, this book's center is definitely the sibling relationship between Azzy and Armin, which was well rounded. The world was well described and while some plot twists were easy to see coming, I still very much enjoyed this novel!

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.