Graceless Heart

Der einzige Grund, wieso ich das Buch nicht 1*DNF'ed habe, war die Grundidee und das Magiesystem. Und dann war ich schon zu weit , und wollte es einfach hinter mich bringen. Leider wurde auf das Magiesystem quasi null eingegangen. Der Schreibstil hat mir nichts gegeben und die Handlung war absolut chaotisch, keine sinnvollen Szenenübergänge, Zeiten waren unklar. Ich bin einfach froh, dass ich es jetzt wegstellen kann.

What I learned from the author's previous books: her stories are all vibes coming from historical settings. And if you loved The Secrets of the Nile duology, you will love this one too. Graceless Heart is placed in Renaissance Italy - and the picture Ibañez is painting is so colorful and intriguing that I couldn't help but vibe along. In combination with her marvelous prose, this is already everything I needed from this book. Add to it plots surrounding the Medici, the Pope and Leonardo da Vince - and I'm truly satisfied. The MCs are Ravenna and Saturnino, the former with secret magic and kidnapped by the latter for her abilities. The romance is not what I came for, and it would not have made me stay. Both characters are likable enough, but the author's character descriptions and arcs have never been what hooked me in her books. What hooked me again though, was her way of placing women who "should not be seen" in settings where they just aim to reach their goals despite society (aka patriarchy) wanting them to stay small. The only thing that can make them stray from their path are...well...men. That said, I would love for the author to write a book xwhere there's no male to distract them from their path. But that's just me. I'm wholeheartedly recommending this book if you loved any of the above. 4/5 stars Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC! #GracelessHeart #Italy #Netgalley #Bookstagram