Starting off with the things I loved about this book, I enjoyed the way the author described things and the characters. Kimya is my favourite. Kimya is one of the most expressive people, despite not being able to speak. While reading, I found some interesting parallels between the characters. Such as the contrast between someone who can’t speak and someone who uses her voice as a source of power, and between a girl who can’t be bonded and one who does not wish to be bonded. The magic system was also something different and cool to me. I have always loved the soulmate trope, but usually in fanfics where you already know the couple ends up together. Not having the choice of who your partner is must be awful.

I wish this had been a duology because I have a lot of questions about the magic system, and things felt a bit rushed in the end. I don’t understand the difference between a witch and a bonded. Is she a witch because she is unbonded but practising magic? I had hoped this book would delve further into my people seeing the markless as lesser. They treat the markless like they have a disease. The markless are treated so differently, and how they are treated before and after they find out they’re markless is crazy. Also, I was curious about the different customs surrounding soul binding. After all the different prejudices, for some reason, I was shocked when I realised her kingdom was homophobic. I wish they explored the idea of platonic soulmates more.

Another thing I enjoyed was Orrin vs. Ruti. I found it very funny. Since we see everything from Ruti’s point of view, Orrin seems so bland. I think this book could have benefited from having multiple points of view, or at least a dual POV.

Unfortunately, after the things I loved, I have to talk about the things I didn’t. I did not care for the romance. The power imbalance in this made me a bit uncomfortable. Ruti is indebted to her and often fears for her life and Kimya's. That doesn’t seem like a good foundation for romance to me. At one point in the book, Dekala literally says she wants a partner she can control. I'm sure them falling in love despite everything is romantic to some, but it wasn't for me.

The romance was slow burn with barely a hint of their attraction to suddenly making out. It felt very rushed. I was hoping that there would be some turning point for me, but it never came. I just don’t like how Dekala treats her; it feels closer to the bully trope than enemies to lovers. I wonder if it would be different had this been a dual POV. In my opinion, this book likely could have had a very similar ending had they just been friends and Dekala ended up with Orrin.

This was the author’s debut book, so I’d be interested in seeing how other books they write are. If they wrote more in this series, I would read it. I’d be interested in checking out other works as well, since I did enjoy the writing. It was the romance that was a bit meh for me.

Markless by C. G. Malburi

Thanks to @netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC for review!

Rating: 2.75

Things I liked in the story:
- Use of singing as part of magic system which was very unique and fresh to read.
- Dekala as a cunning princess was much more fun to read and the little moments of her softness which came out when she's with Kimya were probably my favorites.
- Concept of soulbonds and only when you are bonded, then you will have full control over your powers.

Things I did not like:
- The plot twist. The book is written in first person perspective and we are looking at the world through her eyes. We even hear her inner monologues so it makes zero sense that Ruti lies to us as readers. It was done deliberately to keep the mystery on, but it does not make sense at all.
- Showing systemic oppression but somehow making it a cultural thing, like oh well this is how it is, does not sit right with me. Markless are not even mentioned unless it serves to move the story forward and the resolution for the problem falls flat as they just relocate the slums to other kingdom (also very weird).
- The entire thing with Reagent being ignorant towards Ruti being in palace when he literally tried to kill her before makes no sense because he does not know any of the plans but still lets the Heir do whatever (again for plot convenience).
- How the magic system works is never explained properly. Who is spotted one? Maned one? etc, how are readers supposed to know? This is not a fanfiction where everyone is aware about the workings in a world so this should have been explained properly.
- Ruti as a character. The fact that she dares order around things to Heir of the throne but does not get reprimand or punished for her doings is crazy to me. And you cannot make me believe that just because Heir is attracted to her, she lets go of all these things while also saying she cannot fall in love. The chemistry fails to work because of this reason.

It is okay as a debut novel but would be better if things were more polished and more coherent.

Characters (and readers) put thru the wringer in angsty romance adventure story
Markless is angsty, complicated and difficult to stop reading once you get into it, so plan your reading sessions with that in mind. The book is dedicated to swen, the swanqueen fandom, where the author contributed numerous stories to feed the imagination of readers, creating legions of fans of her addictive writing. Markless is not a simple rewrite of one of those fan fiction stories although there are faint echoes in the personality traits of the main characters that reminded me of characters in her previous writings. Markless is set in a world with magical ability or command over the elements given to some, discrimination meted out against many, and unwarranted privilege for others based on a single physical trait. The world building is well thought out and fascinating but unless there is another story set to be written in this alternate universe, your time in it is unfortunately limited.
The book is classified as being for teenagers but also can easily be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Some of the subject matter is dark with real life parallels so bear that in mind for younger readers. Parents or guardians of younger readers might consider using the story content to broach conversations with their young charges about some of the topics addressed in the book. Or they can simply read it for the high level storytelling, complicated characters and the author's ability to draw readers in to care about, root for or against, or even forgive, certain characters at any given time. The end of the book may not satisfy all readers for any number of reasons but there is resolution and perhaps a lessening of all the angst that pervades the story. Readers of Markless are put thru the emotional wringer nearly as much as the book's characters, the latter of whom suffer in other ways as well.
I recommend this book to adults and older teenagers if angst, adventure and alternate universes are your jam, or if you are part of swen, and hope the author publishes more stories in book form as well as online fan fiction.

In C. G. Malburi's world, being Markless is almost always a death sentence. Born without the sigils on their palms that grant access to elemental power and the ability to soulbond, the Markless gather in slums, begging for food to survive. Among them is Ruti, whose aptitude for witchcraft draws the attention of Dekala, a princess willing to do whatever it takes to avoid the one thing Ruti can never have--a soulbond. When their reluctant alliance sparks unexpected feelings, Ruti and Dekala risk everything--including their hearts--to find freedom for themselves and the Markless Ruti is determined to protect. 

Markless is trying to do a lot at once (at varying times it feels like a sapphic twist on Aladdin, a riff on Avatar: The Last Airbender, a "quest" journey, and a dystopian revolution), and though all of its elements have individual promise, none ultimately felt quite fulfilled. While Malburi's magic system was interesting, it wasn't as unique or fresh as I'd hoped, and more information about the world earlier on would have helped to ground the plot. I was left with many questions--how the elemental magic works beyond the small glimpses of Bonded we see, why so few can connect to the gods through witchcraft, why the Markless are so loathed, and how no Zideshi citizens soulbond in same-sex or platonic pairs while those living in bordering countries do, and though I understand avoiding information overload, none of these questions were ever truly answered by the end of the book. 

That said, Markless did hook me as I continued to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Dekala and Ruti's verbal sparring shift from antagonistic to affectionate. The romance felt realistic, and I loved how the ending allowed each character to be true to themselves. Markless celebrates difference, from a side character who expertly communicates through sign language to Ruti's status as both Markless and powerful witch, and it was Malburi's thoughtfulness and intentionality toward representation that really elevated my reading experience. This might not be the book for readers seeking spice or passionate, explosive declarations of love, but the plot is engaging, and fans of dystopias, sapphic romance, and fantasy driven by political intrigue will find a lot to enjoy--particularly in the second half of the book!

My rating: 3.5 stars

Ruti is Markless. In a society where worth is determined by the mark on your palm and the magic it grants you, this also deems her worthless. Except she’s also a hardened survivor, a protector of the Markless…and the most powerful witch in Somanchi. With a single song, she can pray to the many gods for unimaginable powers.

The concept behind this book is pretty overdone, but the writing was decent and I enjoyed some of the characters. I wouldn't recommend it but I didn't hate it.

An excellently written book with a very interesting, promising premise. Malburi carefully crafts a story that gets the reader hooked from the very first page.

It was simply remarkable.

It took me some time to adjust to the third person view in PRESENT TENSE but after four chapters my brain stopped being wierd and I was fully immersed into the story.

Immesrive world-building, awesome characters, magic, even pirates, and the cold-hearted (or is she?) queen on the quest to find her freedom and ascend the throne. Alas Dekala's heart is sealed, she will never love, or so she says.

Markless has a unique and simply remarkable (yes, I'm gonna say this word a lot) take on the soulmates trope. Soulmates trope is pretty high on my list of favourites, with all this cliches and cringy stuff at times. But this book, I promise, is stunningly something else.

I think I fell in love with this book the moment Kimya, a mute markless girl, gives a piece of chocolate to Ruti, our markless witch, as a thank you for saving her and the said chocolate from being plundered by other markless boys. From that moment on, Ruti and Kimya become like a family (found sisters) and together they enter the world of the queen Dekala, though not by their own will.

As someone who loves explosive love tropes, Markless is rather slow in this department BUT THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT. Dekala's heart is wounded (broken?), at times seems, beyond repair due to what happened to her parents, or, as Dekala believes what love did to her parents. She's hell-bent on never loving anyone because love is what killed her parents, and wounds like this don't heal fast. But the chemestry between Ruti and Dekala is undeniable the farther they go on their journey seeking for Dekala's freedom from the bonding. And it was written simply remarkably (yes this word again, sue me).

Thank you to NetGalley Read Now for the opportunity to discover this book, it was truly remarkable!

I loved it but I would have liked to see more of the development of the relationship. I cried until the last chapter, it made my heart hurt by putting myself in Ruti's shoes. Maybe it would have been nice to have Dekala's pov but honestly with Ruti's it was fine. And although I felt that the ending was very rushed, it really wasn't, it's just that we found out a lot of things together at the last minute, having all these plot twists.

I gave this a 3.5 but rounded up because I so overall enjoy this book and it’s nice that we are getting so much more queer rep in fantasy now.

It felt a little slow at times and a bit rushed towards the end, but I would read more by this author

Markless is a fantasy adventure set in a world where magic and soulmates are tied together and have an impact in almost every aspect of your life. Ruti, our protagonist, doesn’t have a magic/soulmate identifying mark on her palm, relegating her to the slums of her world. She still has magic, only a more folk kind, and it is for this magic she is pulled into the world of politics by the local princess, who is desperate to shake her future.

There are several parts of this novel I enjoyed and a couple that fell kind of flat for me. The world and magic system are really intriguing and unique, and they feel deeply rooted in each other. I found them easy to understand and relate to the politics within the world, though that is partially because Ruti has to be educated in them to navigate her new life. The plot is well done, though the attempts to maintain the intrigue in the final climax mess with the pacing. As a protagonist, Ruti is interesting and well developed, and I found her use of magic to be the most interesting of all.

The other characters tend to fall flat, however, and I found myself struggling to get invested in the love story until the very end. If you’re a fan of traditional enemies to lovers works, however, it’s done well.

Overall, I found this book enjoyable, with a few stumbles in the middle. I’d recommend to anyone looking for a YA fantasy with a dash of sapphic romance.

I was really intrigued by the blurb of this book. And once I started reading I really enjoyed the magic system the author has created, markless, bonded and unbonded, and witches. It was fascinating.

It dealt with some themes like destiny, sexual identity, class systems, trauma and expectations.

There were some excellent plot twists that did surprise me…. I do love an unexpected plot twist.

But the book took awhile to get into the main story and then felt a little rushed at the end.

I also found our main couple……….. a bit nyeh, though there were some nice moments.

All in all really enjoyed it.

thanks to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a review!

this has everything. royalty. politics. magic. soulmates. enemies to lovers. doomed from the start relationship. happy ever after ending. i ate up every single word. this book was phenomenal, i loved and cared about all of the characters even when they were making poor decisions because i could understand why those decisions were being made.

the world building was great, the character growth was so compelling to read. 10/10 highly recommend.

I found the premise, world-building, and even characters highly intriguing in theory, but none of them really lived up to their promise. Although the system of marks caught my interested from the blurb, I felt that the author missed some opportunities to be really creative with it (for instance, I would have loved the marks to correspond to something more interesting than fire-water-air-earth) and I was left with a lot of unanswered questions about how it all works (for instance, do Zideshi women never touch each other's hands? Or is there something else that prevents the Zideshi from having same sex soulbonds?)

I actually liked both Ruti and Dekala as characters, but the romance between them was unconvincing - it was hard to see what appealed to Ruti about the Heir except that she was pretty. Dekala's ruthlessness, while not great for the romance, did make her an interesting character, but I thought her characterization was inconsistent in several places, and overall I would have preferred a stronger sense of her motivations and values.

Finally, the pacing of the plot was uneven, with a lot of the action packed into the second half of the book, and I disliked how much of the climax was dependent on concealing the POV character's thoughts and plans from the reader. I think this could have been handled better to maintain some suspense without giving the feeling of being disingenuous by withholding crucial information.

So much to love about this book, the unique magic system that is layered and complex yet easy to understand as a reader being one of my favorite aspects of this read.

Our main character, Ruti, is a Markless witch living in the slums of her city. We get to see her worldview shift in a positive way as the story progresses.

Markless are looked down upon and treated as less than human by most, and so I enjoyed watching each of the main characters with Marks unlearning their prejudices and growing as people

eARC received from the publisher through NetGalley, thank you!

This was a book I solidly enjoyed, and I would love to see the setting explored more. The magic system was very interesting, and I liked that it was extrapolated on as the book progressed rather than explained all at once. The setting itself felt rich and fleshed out beyond what we got to see in the book.

I’m a sucker for soulmates, so having a magic system that reflects that concept was a fun idea for me. However, I did also enjoy that the concept of such a system was challenged a bit, and I would have liked to see more of that.

My least favorite thing was that I never truly felt like the characters were in danger. Every time they got into a tight situation, it resolved fairly quickly. I think the story would have benefited if some of these situations were harder for the characters to resolve. The story would be more enticing if the threats to the characters felt more real.

I also struggled to figure out character motivations in several places which made following a couple plot points difficult. I think the writing itself is a bit messy and would benefit from more review and editing, but overall it’s a great concept with decent execution, and I’d love to see more like it in the future.

I've been following C.G. Malburi for years, and I'm so thrilled to see her become a published author.
I knew I was going to like everything she wrote, and this book didn't disappoint.  

The story is a new and refreshing take on "soulmates" stories, with impressive world-building, a unique magical system, and characters that you can't help falling in love with.
I love the simple way the author creates this complex world and makes it feel real without overwhelming the readers with information. The book has a great pacing, and every scene feels in place.
I like the dynamic between Ruti and Dekala and the slow progress of their relationship. I also appreciate that I couldn't predict how it all going to work out. It felt original and I couldn't put the book down until I got to the end.
The side characters in the story also add a lot. I like Orrin, and I especially adore Kimya- a markless child who talks with her hands that "adopts" Ruti as a big sister and becomes her sidekick in the story.

This is one of the best fantasy books I read lately, easy to read and sink into with a sweet queer love story that defies fate!
The cover art is also gorgeous and is part of the reason I'm considering getting the physical book.

Thank you to @levinequerido for making the ARC of 'Markless' by C.J. Malburi available for review on @netgalley

I want to say, first and foremost, I really enjoyed the concept of this book.

A woman from a downtrodden class of people getting caught up in royal intrigue? Great!
That woman having access to a power that makes her both a danger and an asset to the same people that have kept her down? Also great!
Singing as part of (one of) the magic system(s)? Not only wildly underutilised in general, but a sure-fire way to warm this former choir boy's shrivelled little heart.

There are so many elements to this book that I really enjoy, and found to be genuinely creative.

I also think this might be the first time I've actually found a love triangle to be properly utilised. This isn't one of those situations where there's one obvious candidate, with a second option being provided for the sake of some fake drama. There were actual reasons why things could have gone in different directions at various points throughout the book, and that's to be commended.

Where things fell apart for me is in some of the world building. I found a lot of things could have used more of an explanation (witches vs. Marked was a big one for me), and I actually wish this had been fleshed out into a duology to allow for that. This also could have helped with providing some plot points the opportunity to be fleshed out further, so they didn't feel quite so rushed.

This is one of those situations where I feel like the full potential of the story wasn't quite achieved, but I still think what we get is worth a read. And I'd like to return to these characters/this world again in future.

Rating: 3.5 (up to a 4 on Good Reads)

This book was a DNF for me. I could not get into the world building and felt like I needed a primer or introduction. I would still recommend this novel, it just was not for me. I did feel like readers of Tasha Suri’s Jasmine Throne might like this story.

(3.5 stars)

The worldbuilding and the magic system in this story is phenomenal. The world is incredibly rich and each province is fleshed out, and the social commentary is incredible. The magic system is quite unique too, I liked the soulbond concept - although I didn’t like how heteronormative it was - but I felt like the song magic was a bit convienent in some places.
The characters by themselves are rather dynamic, and I liked Ruti being the sole narrator, but the relationships, save from the chosen family sisterly bond of Ruti and Kimya, didn’t really make sense to me. The romances felt flimsy and rushed, and plot twists at the end just kind of happened, they weren’t really hinted at beforehand.
Nevertheless, this was a fun action-packed fantasy with a brilliant and easy to read writing style.

Unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

Initially I loved the world building and I loved the unique magic system. I’m also always on board with the concept of soulmates.

However, I didn’t care much for the main character and I really disliked the love interest. I couldn’t for the life of me understand how or why Ruti could fall for Dekala and their relationship sparked nothing for me.

Also the way we were suddenly kept in the dark about the main characters actions until a certain reveal towards the end made for very confusing reading. So many of the characters actions didn’t make sense during this period and the reveal, while enlightening, still didn’t make up for this. I actually almost DNF’d during this part but figured I was close enough to the end to push through.