Beyond the Tales by Tricia Mingerink | A book series review

                                                         

    This series was SO good!! 😍😍I'm in love!

    *SPOILERS BELOW!*

    I wasn't originally compelled to read this series based on the premise alone, but I read and adored Tricia Mingerink's older series, The Blades Of Acktar, and I really wanted to give this one a try in honor of my love for The Blades.  

     Now, admittedly, the first few chapters of Dagger's Sleep did not have me hooked and I was bored. But as I was contemplating not finishing it, I decided I'd wait until I reached 25% in the audiobook before making the choice to set it aside. 

    And, my goodness, I'm so glad I did!

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🗡Dagger's Sleep

    First off, I didn't mind the split POV. I usually dislike multiple perspectives since I'm always annoyed I have to wait, sometimes multiple chapters, until I'm back in the POV of my favorite of the main characters. But here, both Rosanna and Alex interested me equally and I greatly enjoyed my time in each of their thoughts.

    Secondly, I totally guessed Daemyn was Jadyn! I became suspicious the moment we entered Alex's POV and the audiobook narrator was using the same voice for Jadyn that she used for Daemyn! But perhaps that was a little bit of a head start on the reveal that someone reading the print version would not have had. 

    I also loved the unapologetic way Daemyn's faithfulness was portrayed. I've read and watched a lot of darker boy main characters, but for this series, I really loved having Daemyn as someone for me and for the other characters in the series to look up to.

    There were so many other amazing details and concepts in this first book that I loved, but due to length I can't include them all here! Just know that this book was REALLY good!

🌑Midnight's Curse

    This was the book I began to start liking Alex! I just felt so badly for him and I just wanted him to find love already!

💃Poison's Dance

    And this is the book where I fell in love with Alex! He steadily worked himself up to actually being tied with Daemyn in my book, an impressive feat! I just loved so many elements of this one: Alex's growing maturity, him and Daemyn's friendship flourishing, Alex's kindness towards the princesses, that climax where he sacrificed himself for Daemyn!! Daemyn having to make that uncertain medical choice, Alex giving advice to Tamya, the wedding. Everything was just so beautiful!! 😭😭 

    The ONE problem: I really did not like that Alex was the prince in all three fairytale retellings and he didn't find love in any of them. It just felt really unfulfilling after all he'd gone through. Especially when, even at the end of this book, he still seems to be quite lonely, having no one apart from Daemyn, as was mentioned when Daemyn was called upon to make that medical choice for him when he was unable to. And though it was hinted that he'd end up with one of Daemyn's relatives, I really didn't like that. 

    If I had written it, I would've had him end up with Tamya. I would've changed her character and personality first though, because Alex needs someone who is firm when he's being pompous, but also tender when he is dealing with things and needs someone to lean on. Additionally, Daemyn needs a break from being Alex's guard all the time, so I might've also given her the abilities of a good fighter. Then, from there, since she loves her sisters more than anything, when she sees the way Alex so kindly treats them, she begins to soften towards him and is willing to see if a future is possible between them. 

    I just really thought his character needed a family, not just a romantic relationship, which is why I feel that Tamya's family, with so many younger sisters which he befriended so easily during his visit, would have been the perfect match for him. 

    But besides that problem, I loved everything else within this series!

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    Have you read Beyond the Tales before? Or the author's other series I mentioned, The Blades of Acktar? If you have any thought on either works I'd love to chat with you in the comments below!

With love,

             the hopeful pen.