I know I’ve said it many times, but I had a very full schedule of ARCs in October. The final one was Daughter of Stone, which published on the very last day of the month. I was drawn to it because it was described as having witchy vibes, deadly magical trials, and lore inspired by Welsh mythology. Even better, it features plus-sized leading characters and lots of LGBTQ+ representation. It is the first book in the new series called Wielder of Broken Realms Saga. I need to give a big thank you to The Nerd Fam for getting this one to me.

Daughter of Stone officially released on October 31st. You can now order a copy.

Summary:

Non has always known about the magic that runs in her family. Unfortunately, it seems to have skipped her. When she came of age, she spectacularly failed her test to demonstrate powers. In all the years since then, nothing has manifested, even as her best friend died slowly of cancer. It means she’s vulnerable, and can’t stay with her magic-wielding relatives. To hide her, they isolate her. She copes with her disappointing reality as best as she can, and not always in the healthiest of ways. Then, the bar she’s working in explodes. The life that she’s created goes along with it.

Her grandmother comes swooping back into her life to probe her for powers all over again. She whisks Non back to the family’s ancestral home. Despite her intentions, this lands Non straight in the middle of traditional, deadly magical trials to earn the favor of the gods. Non doesn’t expect to survive, let alone earn any godly favor when she can’t even gain the favor of her own family. However, a rival clan leader is looking upon her much more fondly…

My Thoughts:

I liked a lot of the concepts in this one. Calling upon Welsh mythology for this deity-fueled magic system was an uncommon angle that felt fresh. It’s also got a dark atmosphere, which I enjoy, and plus-sized main characters. On top of that it has tons of positive LGBTQIA+ representation, and the male main character is extremely loveable.

Unfortunately, the execution let down the narrative. The end result feels unfinished. Another intense round of editing could have made a world of difference. There were far too many characters to keep track of without stories of their own, and too much exposition. At a number of points, the grittiness was overplayed to the point it almost sounded satirical. Likewise, the instant attraction between the two leads was so outsized that it became unbelievable. No explanation has been given.

That “unfinished” effect was cemented by the cliffhanger ending. A cliffhanger can be a great way to increase readers’ excitement for the next installment in a series and there’s nothing wrong with spreading a plot over multiple books. However, they tend to be most effective when there’s some sort of resolution and we see a new part of the story opening up. That was not the case here, so it felt more like a story cut in half at an arbitrary point of tension close enough to the middle.

I think this writer has some great ideas. It may be that she needs more time to develop her voice or is still looking for an editor with the perfect fit. I don’t believe she’s reached her potential yet with this debut.

Content Warnings: Grief, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, SA, Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injury, Abandonment, Cancer, Gore, Graphic Depictions of Sex, Blood, Heavy Drinking, Drug Use, Toxic Family Dynamics, Gaslighting

After I Finished Daughter of Stone

I actually finished reading this one a couple weeks ago now. I’ve gotten behind on my reviews again, which is why I’m taking a month off of beta and ARC reading. However, I haven’t slowed down much on my reading and have finished another couple of books since this one. The first one I dove into after this was a short and sweet palate cleanser from an author I always enjoy. His books never fail to lift my mood, and this one was no exception.

My next review will be for How to Dream by Thich Nhat Hanh.