In a world where the Roman Empire never fell, two starcrossed lovers fight to ignite the spark of rebellion…
Londinium, the last stronghold of the Romans left in Britannia, remains in a delicate state of peace with the ancient kingdoms that surround it. As the only daughter of a powerful merchant, Cassandra is betrothed to Marcus, the most eligible bachelor in the city.
But then she meets Devyn, the boy with the strange midnight eyes searching for a girl with magic in her blood.
A boy who will make her believe in soulmates…
When a mysterious sickness starts to leech the life from citizens with Celtic power lying dormant in their veins, the imperial council sets their schemes in motion. And so Cassandra must make a choice: the Code or Chaos, science or sorcery, Marcus or Devyn?
Panem meets the Grishaverse in this explosive new YA trilogy perfect for readers of Marie Lu, Bella Forrest, and Cassandra Clare.
Title : Secrets of the Starcrossed
Author : Clara O’Connor
Series : The Once and Future Queen #1
Format : Paperback/Audio
Page Count : 448
Genre : YA/NA Dystopian/Fantasy
Publisher : One More Chapter
Release Date : January 21, 2020
Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★
Micky’s 2.5 – 3 star review
I’ve rounded up my rating to 3 stars and I both read and listened to this story. The world created in Secrets of the Starcrossed was one of an elite alternate futuristic/contemporary society but also one with people less fortunate. I didn’t find the world building immediately easy to understand but over time it did get clearer.
There was a lot going on in this story. A number of characters vying for prominence and essentially, I didn’t particularly connect to Cassandra. That lack of connection with the MC played out further into a lack of feeling of chemistry between the characters. This was a pretty fast-paced read with a good tempo, however.
I do have mixed feelings about this book. It has something of an identity crisis; is it fantasy or dystopia, is the underpinning culture Roman or Celtic? It’s a mix of all of the above and I remain unsure how I feel about those elements. Added to this, the gorgeous cover definitely says Celtic fantasy to me but the reading of it doesn’t leave me with this.
With regards to the narration, I did struggle with the choice of narrator who sounded into her 50s or 60s by voice. The main characters whose POV this was told from, was a teenager. That disconnect isn’t ideal, however I did like being able to experience both formats in tandem.
So overall, I’ve ended this book a little unsure of how I felt about it and what I think about future installments. I do think the synopsis comparisons to other famous worlds are a little ambitious and often not that helpful to readers, I don’t want to make those comparisons and feel left short. This is a book that is definitely worth giving a try to see if you gel with the culture and world, especially if you like Celtic and British cultures and history colliding.
Thank you to One More Chapter for the early review copies.
A Take from Two Cities 