Review of A Thousand Burning Ravens, Kier Smelcer

Welcome to "A Fleeting Thought" where I post relatively short and to the point book reviews.

Reading fantasy romance books can often feel a bit like rinse and repeat, but this book felt refreshing and offered magical elements that I haven't read yet.

"The Queen Who Bleeds Stars." I mean, what a name. Myla was an FMC that was seemingly timid and, at times, frustrating to me in the beginning. But it definitely made sense as the story went on and her character growth was huge! The way the author wrote the characters was polarizing and had depth. I was invested in their stories. By the end, Myla was a badass that I definitely respected.

The love story between her and Bryar was great and I appreciated how the author showed his vulnerabilities. He was multifaceted, a green flag, and yummy.

Kier adds the element of motherhood to our FMC which is not in most fantasy books. Usually the FMC is sterile in some way, shape, or form. It's fantasy-- who wants to worry about getting pregnant in the middle of war after you fucked your hot bodyguard? But, the way this is delivered is so great and adds a level of humanity to Myla and Bryar.

The Blood Stealer is a villain I have not seen before and I thought the way he operated and the control he showed over Myla was so interesting and infuriating. I wanted to fight and kill him just as much as they did.

Why didn't this get five stars from me?

There were certain points in the book that I would have liked if they were a bit more fleshed out. The magic system was new and exciting and I wish it was explained a little bit more. I really would have loved to have delved a little deeper in understanding the magic of the periphery characters such as Elsa, Callum, and Rhyland.

There's some backstory that I would have loved to learn more about, like about Myla's mother and father, but maybe it will show itself in book two!

Thank you so much Kier for allowing me to enjoy an ARC of this book!