Dreamer’s Pool by Juliette Marillier is the first
book in her Blackthorn and Grim fantasy series. Set in a magical medieval
Ireland, we follow three perspectives: that of Blackthorn, an unjustly
imprisoned woman who makes a deal with a fae to forgo her revenge for seven
years of helping anyone who asks for her aid in exchange for her freedom, Grim,
her fellow prisoner who escapes with her and makes it his mission to help her,
and Oran, the Prince of the land Grim and Blackthorn take up residence in.
I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. It was just okay. There
were two plots intertwined through the book (which I don’t mind): one following
Blackthorn and Grim and the other following prince Oran. The first I found
interesting but slow until the midway point of the book and the second far too
predictable. Together it made for a bit of a slog to read the first half, but
then picked up nicely. There was some sexual content that I didn't like, not that it was too graphic but the way it was talked about (written about) was degrading and frankly a bit disgusting. I was grateful there were some plot twists I didn’t anticipate
and I was in general pleased with the ending.
The characters were varied. I liked Grim and Oran (except
when he was being incredibly stupid), but didn’t really like Blackthorn. There
were some moments when the characters frustrated me, but thankfully they didn’t
last too long. However, it did mean I lacked any real connection or investment
in their stories.
Overall, I had much higher expectations for this book.
Everything else by Marillier that I have read I loved, but this one just didn’t
do much for me. I am curious to see if the series improves, but might wait a
while before I try.
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