Onyx & Ivory

by Mindee Arnett

What a beautiful romance filled with monsters. You’ll simply love both Kate and the struggle she faces as she tries to find her new place in the world. I loved the way this world is settled so brilliantly dangerous. There are monsters all around and the fear these creatures create bleeds through the prose of this novel in such a captivating way.

Kate Brighton is the daughter of a traitor. After her father attempts to assassinate the king, he’s executed and she’s left to fend for herself. The man she loved, Prince Corwin, had the chance to help her, but he cast her aside like the rest of the world.

​Now working as a messenger for the royal courier service, she tries to just keep her head down and keep her magic a secret. Throughout the country of Rime, people with magic like hers — Wilder magic — are hunted down and sent to some unknown location. Once there, those Wilders are never seen again.

While keeping her secret, she has to try her best not to get herself killed by the Nightdrakes — flightless dragons that ravage the countryside the moment the sun sets. However, when there’s a drake attack in the middle of the day, Kate finds herself the first on the scene. And who is the only survivor? Prince Corwin.

Suddenly, Kate finds herself back in the old palace suite that she shared with her father and a million questions roll through her head when she discovers a secret that could change the entire world forever.

(Book Summary from Amazon)

This story is so well done. The character development kept me interested from the start. The world building simple, but also complex and interesting. It was easy for me to put myself into this world. The enemy was believable and pulled me into the story immediately.

Kate is such an interesting character. She’s full of anger over the fate of her father. She’s desperate to learn the answers of why he would try to kill the king. Her rage and desperation jump off the page as she searches for the truth about her father’s death. The investment in finding answers alongside Kate is intoxicating for the reader. It easily turns this entire book into a page-turning midnight binge.

I thought the romance was beautiful. It was full of heartache and longing. Both Kate and Corwin wanted the other but something always seemed to prevent it. When the ending finally came, it was like balancing on a knife. You don’t know which way they’ll fall until it happens, but you feel yourself hoping they catch each other. Arnett crafts a believe relationship between Kate and Corwin.

Arnett’s writing style is easy to follow, and the pace of this book was right on point. The story didn’t lag at all and Arnett keeps you engaged all the way to the last page. It’s an instant fantasy classic. It’s full of suspense and adventure. There’s mystery and invention. So much to love about this book and it’ll capture you the minute you open the front cover.