"The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been. When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court. However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her..."
Damsel by Elana K Arnold - release date October 2, 2018
I devoured this book. If I wasn't a student in need of a sleep schedule, I definitely know I would have finished this book in one sitting. This story was a dark fairy tale where everyone is not quite who they seem and the lines between hero and villain are extremely blurry. (I can't say expect the happy ending you want, but I will definitely say the ending is very satisfying.) While the story can get pretty weird or pretty upsetting at times, I absolutely loved it. It is able to stir up some pretty strong emotions from the readers, like for me it was shock or anger or even some spiteful smugness at the very end.
Ama is an AMAZING character. I loved how strong she was. At first I was like alright this Emory dude is cool! He saved her from the dragon! Go him! But you find out pretty quickly he is NOT what he seems. (Don't want to say more than that-no spoilers.) Sorrow the cat counts as a character so I need to add that she was lovely and also very important. There aren't really any ships in this book. If anything, it is the opposite of a romance. Even thought it's a dragon/prince-rescues-damsel/fairy tale thing, it is VERY much not romantic.
The plot was less based on actual action and more on how things were affecting Ama mentally, having to adjust to a new world with no previous memories, the "responsibilities" of almost being a queen, dealing with the people living in the castle, and arguably most difficultly, having to live in the "man's world" in the kingdom of Harding. But don't worry: she doesn't just roll over and take it. Where would the story be if Ama didn't try to fight back?
Likes/Dislikes. I LOVED the world that the author created. The first part just drew me right in; it was so fantastical. There were some parts were it was a little weird, like the Wall of Eyes, but the way everything is described paints beautiful pictures in your head. Loved that part. I also loved the ending (no spoilers though) it was so satisfying and worth the wait. I didn't like the "king's yard" and what the king does with his yard. Talk about awkward. UGH- that man is so sketchy (no spoilers though). I also didn't like how the other queen never got a name? They just called her queen mother the whole time. I know some people don't care about that but I notice it when they don't name characters (example- the King of Adarlan in Throne of Glass). I guess their royal title is their name...
Honestly? 5 out of 5 stars. This book was fantastic and I just ate it up. I would definitely recommend this, but to a more mature audience due to content that might not be good for younger readers. It is worth the read, though. I loved it. Took me 2 days to read.
-Taylor
Reviewed on September 25, 2018
