Synopsis:
It all begins with the powerful Fae relic Sa’ore Verite which has the power to draw out ‘prana'(magic) or life force out of anything living, falling through the Rift into the mortal realm Amonderan. The ailing king of Castellon sees this as an opportunity to instill fear in neighboring kingdoms and is willing to go to any lengths to fill Sa’ore with prana of any mage he can get his hands on, to use it as an explosive device that can decimate nations. His baby brother Malakai opposes this vehemently which ensues a chain of actions that results in Malakai landing in prison for treason. Ciaran, a king’s knight and Malakai’s best friend, comes back to the castle from a mission to find his best friend gone and decides to break him out of the prison. The Fae queen of Mesmers, Amaryllis wants to bring the relic back to it’s rightful place and readies herself to go into the mortal realm. Meanwhile in a small village a young ‘mover’ mage called Una is preparing to embark on a journey to be a king’s knight. Unknown to all Mataderan (the heaven) and Tarderan (the hell) rulers have their own plans. This is the tale of how all their stories intertwine…
Thoughts:
Honestly, I am at a loss for words why this book is not getting more attention because Mirai Amell is a brilliant storyteller and in her very first attempt at fantasy genre writing she has knocked it out of the park and Truth in Blue even has the potential to be in high fantasy genre. I absolutely loved reading every single page of Truth in Blue. It’s plot is so intricate, the world building is steady and impressive and the magic system is detailed and comprehensive. The characters, their story arcs and their interactions were beautifully crafted as well. One of my only problems with Truth in Blue was, that it was very fast paced and there was no breathing room. At times, I felt as though some scenes were rushed could have used more effort to flesh them out and ease the reader into it. The other thing was, sometimes in Mirai’s attempt to sensationalize some scenes she forgot certain things or objects couldn’t simply be there at that specific time which made it somewhat lose the credibility of those incredible scenarios. Otherwise, Truth in Blue was an fantastic read. The plot twist at the end was marvelous and I did not see that coming at all and it came at that point where I was beginning to think all the characters in the book were all goody two shoes.
I cannot actually pick one character who I loved the most. I loved them all equally. Malakai, Amaryllis, Una, Ciaran and Tristen were great characters and their story progression and character development throughout the story was beautifully done, as well as their story arcs. Although, Sanar, Vid, Hunter, Dom, Peg, Reva, Seraphina, Mihael and even the devil himself – Sirius, didn’t add anything substantial to the story, they were great additions and made the story more enjoyable. I really liked how Una’s story arc was filled with mystery and suspense.
While the love stories in the narrative may have initially seemed like instant attractions, I admired the way Mirai allowed the characters to proceed at a leisurely pace. Their connection felt authentic and unhurried, and their dialogues were genuine and relatable.
Overall, Truth in Blue was an amazing book and I really enjoyed reading it. Even though it can end as a stand alone, I would like nothing more than to read more of these beloved characters and their four realms, especially given how the epilogue ended. 😉 Also, I am looking forward to seeing more work from Mirai because she is such a great writer.
My sincere thanks to Netgally, Shadow Spark Publishing and Mirai Amell for providing me this advanced reader copy.
Rating:
The Book Cover