THE OTHER SIDE OF MAGIC | Ester Manzini
PUBLISHING DATE: 6 April 2021
The premise is right up my alley - a setting reminiscent of sixteenth century Italy, a princess born with too much power, and a commoner born with none at all. A lost knight. A fresh, interesting magic system. It actually reminded me a lot of Zoe Reed's Breaking Legacies, which I love, so I was ready to be obsessed again.
Unfortunately, for me, the book fell flat. It was weighed down by heavy, clunky dialogue and extensive explanations. We are privy to every thought the characters have, at length, the minutiae of their internal struggles displayed for all and sundry. The final climax of the book happens too fast. Even the enemies-to-lovers goodness that I would usually excuse a great deal for was rushed and unrealistic. Some of the characters, who could have been rich storytelling instruments, were instead almost cartoonish caricatures.
It's a real shame, because I absolutely believe that if some different editorial choices had been made, I would be devouring this book as a duology, or even a trilogy. The storyline is grand and has so much potential to be a fantasy epic, but unfortunately, there are too many elements against it. That said, I would be interested to see what Ester Manzini does in the future, because the plot of The Other Side of Magic is engaging and interesting, and I always welcome more LGBT+ rep in fantasy spaces!
Thank you to NetGalley and to The Parliament House publishing for providing me with this ARC.
