ARC Review: Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Tell the Wind and Fire
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: Standalone
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Release Date: April 5th 2016
Book Length: 368

Publisher: Clarion

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets.

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself??

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Review

I was so excited to find out that Sarah Rees Brennan was writing a new book, I binge read her Lynburn Legacy series last year and really enjoyed it, she has such a gift of adding humor to her books, they’re always a pleasure to read. Then I find out that her latest book is actually a re-telling? Be still my beating heart! Have I read a Tale of Two Cities? Erm, no. But I’m still excited!

            A city divided by magic, both Light and Dark and those who wield it. Lucie was born in the Dark city but she is able to wield Light magic and now lives in the Light, she has the male version for Mary Sue as a boyfriend, the perfect prince-y Ethan. However after a case of mistaken identify Ethan is nearly killed after being accused of conspiring with rebels from the Dark city and plotting against his own people. Lucie must save Ethan but when Carwyn comes along with his Dark magic, dangerous powers and wearing the same face as her lover things starts to get a little complicated/AWKWAAAARD as past secrets are revealed.

Tell the Wind and Fire had a pretty info-dumping start, the whole history between the two cities’ and their differences was on the longer side of things but I was willing to overlook it. Then we had our characters, as I’ve stated Ethan was McPerfect and Lucie tended to go from incredibly heroic to incredibly stupid within 2 seconds flat. Then we were introduced to the mysterious Carwyn who was Ethan’s doppelgänger and who also happened to be my favourite because he actually had some semblance of character; he was also hilarious!

“Quite a picture, isn’t it?” Carwyn asked, looking out of the window. “Baby’s First Collar. ‘Who’s an itty-bitty manifestation of ultimate darkness? Is it you? Is it you?” He glanced over at us. We stared at him. He shrugged. “That was a rhetorical question.”

            Sadly there wasn’t much of a plot for the majority of this book; we seemed to just follow characters around until something of note happens but then we are back to square one – watching Lucie make ridiculous decisions all over again, oh and pine over her boyfriend in some serious detail. It was interesting to see main characters already in a stable relationship in the beginning but no matter how much Brennan stated that they were a slow burn romance I couldn’t help but roll my eyes because these two have insta-love written all over them.

As I’ve said Carwyn, to me anyway, was the only light in this book as the only interesting character and thus my reason for getting through it at all. It started off good but I definitely think it could have been better in certain areas as the concept of magic within the different cities was confusing and I’m still not quite sure what happened to a few characters but oh well. The ending you say? Hated it, it was cruel and left ajar.