The writing in this book was so lyrical and atmospheric, it was magical in and of itself. The book was an exciting read from start to finish. You really felt like you were there. I think I had a real connection with this book in the way that it interpreted the need for perfection and how "the demons in your head" just wanting everything you don't have. Instead of being horror and gore, the book is exciting and prosaic. Definitely worth your time.

DNF @20%

I REALLY REALLY TRIED to enjoy this book. I felt like I just couldn't connect to the plot.

This is a good blend of horror and fantasy. This gave me the spooky vibes literally right from the start with the prologue.

I would definitely recommend this to those who want a spooky book but still has a good plot line and well developed characters.

The premise is really interesting and has so much potential but the pacing needs adjustments because it has a normal to a tad bit slow pacing for my liking. It is heavy in the world’s concept of death so just be ready with that!

It was a good book!
I enjoyed reading this one!
It was very unique and an interesting story, I would definitely recommend this to friends

TW: Child death, animal death, gore, kidnapping

The premise of this book seemed really interesting and the cover art was very pretty, and I'm always a sucker for a pretty cover. However I don't really think I was the intended audience for this. There was a gothic/horror elements to this book and I really try to stay away from the horror stuff, I'm such a wimp! That being said I found the world building really great and the characters complex and though the romance was slow it turned out really good in the end. This would be a good book around Halloween/spooky fall time. And I would definitely give this author another chance if it was something in my wheelhouse.

Thank you so much to M.R. Grand for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an excellent storyline that I really enjoyed. That being said it was really hard to read this. There were several grammatical errors throughout the entire book. However, as I know that these will surely get fixed before publication I can still give this book a good star rating. The story was original and imaginative, and I loved all of the description that brought it to life.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
This book was a great fantasy novel, especially for those who started reading the genre. Character arc was great and the pacing was fine but at times little too slow for my liking. I wanted more plot twists and reveals though. It had thrilling parts which was unexpected. In general it was a good read and an enjoyable time. I enjoyed this and i am planning on reading the next one.
3.5/5

This was a wonderful blend of horror and fantasy. With in depth characters and great pacing. I enjoyed this and can not wait for the next one.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

Thankyou to NetGalley for giving me a copy to review.
The premise was interesting and setting were interesting , however i the start felt a bit slow.

This one left me reeling - in a good way.

Juno is a young witch, troubled but determined. She is arguably her own greatest critic and feeling the pressure of being without her own demon. A necessity if she intends to hone her craft.
Problem is, she won't settle for anything less than perfection.

In this world, our protagonists are not heroes. Witches terrorize humans and subjugate demons all for the betterment of their magic. I, for one, enjoyed this fresh take on a protagonist that you want to dislike but at the end of the day simply can't. Alternating POV took some getting used to, especially from the perspective of Wendark, a demon coming into their own without standard binary labels.

There's an undeniable moodiness to M.R. Grand's debut novel, an anger that permeates the story. This is what creates much of the 'dark' and 'gothic' feel. As well as several instances of gore that while short-lived add to the sense of underlying horror that you just can't look away from.

The first quarter set the stage for the rest of the story to unravel. I may be the odd woman out, but I wasn't bored by the first 100 pages, if anything I was overwhelmed. The worldbuilding and magic system were so rich and unique that I often found myself either revisiting earlier passages or stepping away to digest what I'd just read. I almost wonder if audio would have made the transition more seamless.

All-in-all, this is a story that will stick with me but not necessarily one that I will recommend or revisit. That will all depend on the aftertaste.

[Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

Thank you so much to Net Galley and to the author, for providing me with a free copy of The Language of the Wind by M.R. Grnad in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own. Any quotes in this review should be cross-referenced with the final copy for any possible edits.

I really wished I liked this book more than I did. I was lured in by such a beautiful cover and not super impressed by the actual writing of the novel. I nearly put this book down and never picked it back up. I dragged through it until the end and I felt like editing is needed.

This was such a confusing story to dive into. Timeline is hard to keep up with and the magic system is intricate. BUT, with that being said, once you get situated the story is beautiful. I have recommended this to friends, with the note to be prepared to hang tight through the world building portion.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I enjoyed this story but the back and forth in time was a bit confusing. I hope the next book will be better, as this was a debut
The storyline was interesting. I love novels with magic systems of demons. This was more for a YA audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing start to a series! I cannot wait for the next book as this book gripped me.

Really fun witchy story with a unique magic system, using demons. It was also really amazing setting and general story. And I completely loved the vibe. Really good also for the autumn time for me.

I had to DNF this book at 15% for several reasons:

1. It needs serious editing. The author switches between past and present tense repeatedly, sometimes in the same paragraph or sentence. There are numerous typos. The sentences are long and wordy—a good editor could help streamline for clarity. There are action tags in the middle of dialogue for someone other than the speaker (this took me a bit to figure out once I kept getting confused about who was speaking).
2. There's a lot of contradiction. The relationship between demon and witch is described as symbiotic, but then Juno has a hard time catching a demon (shouldn't they want to be caught)? She gives the demon human features, which are preferred, but the demon seems upset. Maybe because it's not a whole body? The witches seem to have zero issues with killing humans, but Juno can't get an entire body for her demon?
3. The entire dynamic is utterly confusing. Juno works at the Menagerie, which cultivates demons for witches, but she can't get one herself? They pillage human lands for unknown reasons. If she can't find a demon, she'll have her ears ripped off (the way she hears the wind and does magic), but it's unclear why they would rip off such a talented witch's ears.
4. I couldn't get into it. Several chapters bored me, and I found myself reading other things in between.

So...DNF for me, but others seem to have liked it.

Great story. Started slow but then I could not stop reading. This book gave me a gothic fantasy vibe and I really enjoyed that. I will be reading more from this author.

Thanks, Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review!
It starts slow, but the exposition is reserved mainly for wold building and sets the stage for future really intriguing character development and plot that moves faster with enough tension.and intrigue! I love the characters and their uniqueness is flashed out well! The story takes few really interesting turns and twists and definitely I was hooked after the first 100 or so pages. Definitely a must-read!