Thank you first to Rebecca Mix, Andrea Hannah, and the publishers for this ARC in return for my honest review. This book was a romp from start to finish. Think Clue or Knives Out but set in a fascinating little fantasy verse. I’m honestly not typically the biggest fan of murder mysteries, but this one hooked me from the first scene. I can honestly say that I couldn’t predict most of the twists. It’s also got the SLIGHTEST hint of found family thrown in there to pepper things up, which I am such a sucker for. Definitely recommend!

I have never read a fantasy whodunnit and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the multiple POV. I would be incredibly interested in more books of this nature.

This book hooked me from its scintillating premise (a murder mystery set in a castle with a cast of characters you're wondering if you can trust!), and the first pages immediately held me captive. For all the fun I was having flipping the pages (oh, poor innocent me), this story also cruelly—and wonderfully—tugged at my emotions. Each point of view grew deeper and deeper as the story progressed, as did the plot itself, blooming like a beautiful and dangerous winter lily. I am in need of book 2, please.

What an adventure! Everything I thought this book could be, it was that and more. The summary promised a whole dunnit with magic and beast and it delivered that and then some.

The progression of the book itself is intriguing. You think you are just along to solve a crime, but it unfolds itself into another story altogether in such a captivating way. On the surface I thought it would be a cozy little mystery mixed with some fantasy but the book just kept giving more and more.

The characters themselves suck you into their stories and although normally I don’t like the constant changing of perspectives in a novel, I really enjoyed it with this book. You get bits and pieces of their lives and experiences that slowly build into one story that you didn’t see coming.

There isn’t an excessive amount of world building and magic system explanation, and the action starts from the beginning of the book. I couldn’t put this one down, it’s suspenseful, and I never anticipated what was going to happen next.

If you like murder mysteries, fantasies, with a side of romance and friendship you will love this book.

This was exactly the story I needed! It’s fun, it’s immersive, it’s tense and gripping, and very well developed! I loved each of the POV characters and am amazed at how much world building was seamlessly packed into the novel’s pages. You get full, in-depth character back stories, a unique magic system, an intricate religious system, all while the clock is ticking. You can tell how much the authors enjoyed plotting out the timeline and bringing to life each unique character. Fantasy, fun, and thrilling - this story checks all the boxes! I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books/Storytide for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️
When a King is murdered, in the presence of 5 unlikely witnesses, and none of them saw who struck the killing blow, what happens next?

This was a cool endeavor of the relationships between people formed in chaos and stress. I loved the play on time throughout the book and all the twists and turns with peeks into each of the characters. I can honestly say that the reveals were not what I was thinking and while this is fantasy, it was not high fantasy. Some characters had magical abilities, but we didn’t see a heavy use of those powers in the book.
I do think the ending was left open for a possible second book which honestly I’d be here for- I think there’s more to some of the characters stories and would love to get more!

The idea of a fantasy whodunit had me hooked to begin with but this was SO MUCH FUN. It moved at a good pace and didn't try to hard.