Super enthralling, dangerous and full of twisted complex ideas. I adored following Mars, Fura, and crew through a twisted game of cat and mouse.

Our MC, Mars, I really enjoyed. He was fantastically written and developed. Regardless of what he was or has done I was constantly behind him with the good and the bad. Then on the other side we have Fura and Katrin each important for their own reasons. I adored how strong both these girls were despite their upbringing.

There is a slight romance aspect but it plays a very, very tiny role. The story is mostly weaved with mystery elements and gorgeous world-building. I really enjoyed this one and would definitely suggest picking it up! It’s fierce, harsh, and wonderfully crafted with so many elements weaving into one.

Riven follows Mars, an 18 year old mercenary and secret magic user who drawn back undercover for “one last job” to earn his freedom. The job? To find a mysterious object and to keep safe an heiress who just so happens to be the daughter of the man he’d previously been hired to kill.

The concept and the first few chapters of world-building really drew me in, but I got stuck about a third of the way in because of the pacing. When I pushed myself to continue, I was disappointed to find that every “twist” you could imagine took place and played out almost as if I’d written it myself. Or just read the plot a dozen times before. Even the romance fell flat, Mars had better chemistry with the third wheel than the beautiful heiress.

A lot of the themes the book raised were only shallowly explored. This is one of those books where it being YA and myself being older than that target audience really came into play. Maybe a teenager or someone just getting into fantasy books would really enjoy this, but unfortunately, it was not the book for me.

Also, the ending tied things up just fine in my opinion. Why is this being stretched further?

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC, that in no way effected my opinion.

My favorite part of this book was the commentary about religious hypocrisy running through the book. My second favorite part was the main character, who was overall a very interesting person. However, I did not like the way the book ended, which us why this book ends up with four stars

Ace of Shades x We Hunt the Flame. Mostly I liked this because of Mars. He's a wonderful main character - has done bad things, and he knows it, but he can't help but want to be a good person. I also appreciated only having his POV, since there's been so many multi POV books of this type recently, it was refreshing to see everything from one character's perspective. Fura and Katrin are pretty typical Strong Female Characters, but there's nothing wrong with that. The magic system is really cool, and I think the resolution is good enough for this to be a standalone even though it's listed as book one of a series in goodreads.

Tags: enemies to lovers, forbidden magic, PTSD, slow burn, magic with a price,

This book starts with some amazingly well done world building. Readers are introduced to a world that relies on a toxic and powerful resource called ICE that’s mined by its civilians. There is also a population of illegal blood mages named “adepts” who are enslaved by the ruling class to do their biding. Our main character Mars is a bastard with a connection to an underground crime syndicate that hires him to assassinate the corrupt and wealthy. After a job goes sideways he attempts to buy his way out of the lifestyle with one last job. Find the other half to a formula that could destroy ICE for good, the twist, the princess is who holds the key. Also, he’s a hidden adept who has to keep his secret identity safe while also seducing the strong-willed independent princess.

I adored Mars as a character, he feels like fresh air. After all the morally grey characters, Mars is the brooding and jaded anti-hero we all needed. Mars never claims to be “good”, his decision making is logical and calculated …and I loved it! His character plays off so well with the uptight and righteous Fura, who is the princess he is trying to con.

The plot twists (yes, plural) in this book are impeccable and completely unpredictable. This book was set up to be a quick and straight forward heist novel…however, it instead succeeds at having the reader entranced and guessing at every move.

This is a surprisingly dark and complex fantasy book that completely grabbed my attention. I bought into the characters and their development and I was so torn with the ending. I highly recommend!

If you never read a novel by Mindee Arnett this is a great start. I love this author's writing style and creative world building, it grabs us and we are drawn into it very easily. A great balance between fantasy world-building, magic, romance in disguise, and politics.

We follow a young mercenary who accepts a mission to protect a high society young woman (Fura) who is also a great fighter. I love the tension that this job brings to his story because of the past he has with this family.

In this strange world of ice, magic society has different levels but all with their high levels of danger ( it's not a world where being wealthy or powerful keeps you safe either). Our main character's life is in the hands of his employer and there is nothing he wants more than be free (and alive).

His mission translates into protecting but also convincing others he and Fura are a couple. Half of the book is the preparation for this and we love his point of view and personality. But... There is a second mission that involves betraying Fura. Will he?

Riven is a unique fantasy novel with an intricate magic system, flawed characters, and a dying world. Mindee Arnett's writing is superb, and each chapter flows into the next. So many books lately have been told from multiple POVs, it was nice to read a novel from a single character's perspective. Mars is flawed in many ways (to begin with, he is a hired assassin); however, the reader can't help but cheer for him. Fura and Katrin are both well-developed, and despite not having them as POVs, the reader is able to get to know and understand them. While I believe this is a standalone novel, I would definitely read a sequel if one were to be written. I highly recommend Riven to anyone looking for a fantasy involving magic, morally gray characters, and adventure.

Hooked from the beginning to the end. Enjoyed the writing style and story. A definite must read for fantasy and magic lovers. I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the book for an honest review.