Marked by the Moon (Bound by the Veil #1) by Helen Scott
Published: March 31, 2023 by Amazon Digital Services
Review:
Myth 4/5
This book reminded me of Tamora Pierce meets SJ Maas, if the heroine was aged up a little when she entered the life of a warrior. Senara is kind and driven, practical and relatable through all her misadventures. Her love story with Thornbis intriguing - the one night stand that she can’t have! I loved the first 75% and it was only the final end of the book that I felt dragged out a little bit. The two bits of plot that did not sit well were 1) that all of the other guards hated her. This was hinted at but didn’t seem like enough cause for how emphatically they hated her, and 2) a physical deal made between Senara and Thorn in the final pages of the book.
Magic 3/5
There simply isn’t much magic in this first book of the series. There is the illusion of magic - it’s a shunned part of this world, and her best friend/sister practices magic, but most of this is done off page or referred to as part of the world building. There is a little healing done, and Senara is moon marked, marked by birth with a mysterious birthmark that grows with every passing moon. It feels like there is setup for a big, magical reveal in book 2, and we’ll just have to wait and see what’s possible.
