Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett Review
Hello! Welcome back to another review! This week I'm reviewing our July book club pick and I'm excited to share my thoughts with you. Hope you guys had a great weekend. Enjoy!
Onyx and Ivory by Mindee Arnett
Length: 500 pages
Publication Date: May 15th, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Story Development: Multiple climaxes, good balance between action and intrigue
Romance: In the background
Protagonist Strength: Above Average
Re-readable? Yes
Received From: Fairyloot
They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart. The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate. With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime.
I was a bit hesitant about this month's book club pick, not because I didn't want to read it, but because I DNF'd June's read. After not finishing the previous month's read, I was determined that we pick a good read this month and I've been wanting to read Onyx and Ivory since I got my hands on it. This was a great book club read for many reasons, as detailed below.
This is one of the longer book club picks we've had in a while. Despite its length, I couldn't stop reading this novel because I just wanted to find out what would happen. The plot of this fantasy was compelling from the start. You guys know how much I usually dislike multiple POV's, because they usually aren't written well or the plot isn't strong enough to carry it. However, the multiple POV's worked in favor of this book. This story switches between the two main characters which allows you to see aspects of the plot you wouldn't if it was only from Kate's perspective.
Most of this book takes place in the city of Norgard, the capital city of Rime, while the beginning of this book takes place somewhere else. I think the author wanted to have the story diversified because of its length, but it comes across as a confusing segue into the rest of the plot. There are a few key points that take place in this other city, but they could have easily taken place on the road.
As far as character development goes, the author does a good job giving all the main and supporting characters a distinct personality and backstory. What I especially enjoyed was that we don't get all the information that could be available, setting us up for more development in the second book.
I also enjoyed the way the romance developed in this novel. There was no instalove (a personal pet peeve of mine) and although the characters had a previous romantic history, their relationship re- developed slowly and in a really organic way. I'm excited to see where this relationship leads in the future.
Overall, this was a great first book in a new series by the author. The story left me with so many questions and I can't wait for the next installment. The development of the plot and the characters was done well and I am looking forward to reading some of her other works as well.
