A review by obscurepages
Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

5.0

(You can also find this review on my blog!)

I first discovered this book back in June and I craved for it immediately. Witches, magic, royalty, fantasy, a beautiful cover, and an intriguing synopsis—it has everything that catches my eye in a book. Now that I’ve finally read it, I can now conclude that it’s one of my favorite reads this year!

The writing
I love the writing style of the author. There were moments that were easy to follow, and light and funny; but there were also parts where it was gripping and emotional and dark. It was a page-turner, not only because the story line was really interesting, but because the characters themselves were intriguing as well. I truly applaud the author for this.

The characters
I adore the main character of this book, Zera. She was fierce, witty, and sassy. I loved every sassy remark and witty comeback she said. She makes sure that no one steps on her or her friends. Despite this, I can also see that she was also lonely and scared—haunted by the blood on her hands, her longing for a normal human life, and the uncontrollable hunger within her.

I loved Prince Lucien as well. He’s your typical cold and brooding prince, but he has a heart of gold and a mind different from his father’s. His love for his sister is truly a great influence on his personality.

Malachite and Fione were really good as well. Malachite is a loyal soldier and friend, not to mention really funny. While Fione is a strong complex character driven by two things—her love for Varia and her disdain towards her uncle.

Above all, I loved the chemistry between these characters. I loved Zera and Lucien, Lucien and Malachite, Zera and Malachite, Zera and Fione. They work really well together, and I would love to see more of them in the future.

The plot
The plot was also very interesting. The idea of a Heartless was so interesting for me. How they were made, how they function, and of course, them dealing with the hunger inside. At first, I thought the hunger was just this figurative term. But the more I read the book, the more I advance through the story, the more I realize that the hunger seems like a whole new different and malevolent person living inside a Heartless. And I truly found this bit fascinating.

There were moments though when the plot was a bit predictable, but I still loved it nonetheless. I believe the story line progressed smoothly, and that cliffhanger at the end is just too good. I can’t wait for book two!

The world-building
Oh my God. The world-building! It is amazing! I absolutely loved the world that the author created for this story. It was complex, it was dark, it has this rich and haunting history, and I want every bit of it. I loved the bits and pieces in the story and in the dialogue, where they talk about their world and mention details about it. It absolutely helped me, as a reader, to visualize and get a feel of the world the characters are in.