Her Sharp Embrace

HER SHARP EMBRACE is an intriguing YA fantasy with messy characters and an interesting world. Noa joined the Nightshades, a female gang of people with magic, after leaving her family and the Saints, the magical people in political control, behind. She fell in love with Lennon, the leader of the Nightshades, but she has struggled to fully fit in with them.

The story begins with a bang - Noa and Jolie are in the safehouse when masked men break in, leaving Jolie dead and Noa gravely injured. The book then goes back before the incident through the aftermath and trial to figure out who in the Nightshades was behind it, with Theo, Noa, and Mia all implicated.

What I loved: This is an interesting look at love and betrayal with power influencing the scales. The characters were messy, and the reader gets many points-of-view to complicate sympathies. The main characters all read like teenagers with the drama and complications of their age and immaturity readily apparent, which suits the YA genre well. The magic and power they have throws a wrench into everything as their conflicts and pettiness become more high stakes very quickly.

The mystery of who was behind the hit that left Jolie dead drives the story as the reader seeks to understand the relationships between the Nightshades and the potential motivations. This really drove the plot forward with shifting thoughts and alliances as things unravel. The twist at the end is surprising with further reaching implications that make you want to go back and reread some scenes. I am really interested to see how it will all play out and where the pieces will land in the sequel. I think there could be more that the reader does not yet know.

What left me wanting more: The world-building was a bit confusing, as the reader is thrust into everything without a lot of explanations. For about the first half, it was really challenging to understand this world with its many gangs and power dynamics. After that, the reader could get lost in the story and the mystery of whodunnit.

Final verdict: HER SHARP EMBRACE is an intriguing YA fantasy with a compelling mystery. Recommend for people who enjoy character-driven reads with multiple points-of-view and a quick pace with less world-building.

Magical outlaws? Alchemy? And danger at every turn? Yes please!

Her Sharp Embrace by Katie Koenig is a YA fantasy novel that is set in the glittering city of New Soleil, where beauty masks danger at every turn. The Nightshades, a crew of magical outlaws, are no different. Their glamorous facades conceal the terror they strike into the hearts of the rich and powerful as they steal from the corrupt and fight for the forgotten. Noa Toussaint fled her cossetted life as a Saint to join the Nightshades. Infatuated with their ferocious leader, Lennon, Noa aims to capture her heart and keep it. Her talent for alchemy is valuable, but her connection to her family puts all of the Shades in danger. Now enemies are closer than Lennon knows and Noa must uncover the threat and keep them both alive. Because in a city where lies are lethal and magic is fading, secrets aren’t just costly—they’re deadly.

First things first, I must rave about Koenig's establishment of characterization. Noa easily became one of my favorite protagonist, right next to the likes of Cinder and Jude Durante, and I solely blame it on the fact that she is part of GIRL GANG. Now I don't know about you, but that seems like straight up feminism to me. (Taking down the patriarchy, one magical heist at a time). Regardless, Koenig also has a keen eye for creating a narrative that makes itself out to be more of a mystery novel than that of the promised fantasy novel.

Which leads me to the one downside of this novel, in that I wish the magic system was explored a bit more. I feel like Koenig spent a more time wanting to expand not only the underbelly of the subplot being a "whodunnit" but the queer romance as well. Which is all fine and all, but that made the fantastical elements a little lackluster and underdeveloped. Though I do have the preface that Her Sharp Embrace is only book one, so perhaps I'm wrong and Koenig will continue to expand on her magical girl gang in the following novels.

Nonetheless, Her Sharp Embrace is a perfect novel for someone needing a little more Six of Crow in their lives. Or its perfect for someone who needs a gentle reminder that family love is just as important of romantic love.