Onyx & Ivory audiobook

UNPUTDOWNABLE YA FANTASY ALERT PEOPLE!!*clears throat*The Fairyloot Team has an unparalleled ability to discover hidden treasures (metal detectors or something?). The edition of Onyx and Ivory they included in their May Box (black sprayed pages, oh my) was a feast for the eyes, but also the first book in a while that had me truly immersed in its dark pages. Politics, conspirasies, war, ancient rites, forbidden magic, rebels, wingless dragons and fierce heroes, it was an enchanting adventure that made me forget the sour taste of War Storm and exceeded my expectations!Onyx and Ivory takes place in Rime, the only kingdom where magic is manifested, where the fearsome drakes come out at night and devour human flesh. It follows the story of Kate Brighton, a girl whose father attempted to assassinate the king and thus was sentenced to death. With his past treason haunting her every step, Kate tried to start anew as a rider of the Relay (the royal courier service) until Fate staged an unexpected meeting with Corwin Tormane, the king's second son and the boy she once loved, who returned to his homeland after three years of mysterious journeys. Now Kate and Corwin must work together in order to solve the mystery of new monsters roaming the land of Rime, while they pretend that their history and the tension that shimmers and burns between them doesn't exist. With Kate's secrets and Corwin's duties separating them, but their common goals and the love they once shared tethering their souls, they will uncover conspiracies, face devastating truths, and come across forces that threaten their country and their world. Will Traitor Kate and the Errant Prince be able to stop them? “It's always a choice, to do right or wrong, no matter the power.” One of the many things that made Onyx and Ivory such an enjoyable read is the detailed worldbuilding and the fascinating lore; the history of Rime, its politics, the monsters, the chasm between the magic wielders made this novel deeply atmospheric, and transfused an aura of danger and urgency to the narration. Mindee Arnett crafted a unique world interwoven with action, and toe-curling, slow-burning romance, which, in my book, is the perfect blend for success!There was, however, a heavy use of many YA tropes (heroine who finds out the magnitude of her abilities / secrets kept from her parents / sibling rivalries etc), and the attitude of the characters (mostly Kate) followed the predetermined pattern of the YA heroine who withholds the truth of her heritage, constantly gets into trouble and thinks she can do anything by herself, but mind that while they are enough for detracting a star, they don't make the story any less magical. In fact, one of the book's assets is Mindee Arnett writing style; it's rich, fluid, descriptive and evokes a variety of emotions, while she manages to make you see the landscapes and the characters through her eyes. She demands your attention, and she gets it.Kate, Corwin, Raith, Signe, Dal, they are multi-layered characters cloaked in mystery, each of them for their own reasons. What took me by surprise was how realistic and flawed Corwin was; he was not the powerful, perfect prince who poops rainbows and sunshine. And -skies above- it's the girl that saves the prince in this one! Kate is strong, fierce and too stubborn for her own good, and although sometimes you want to deprive her for her occasionally stupid decisions, you admire her loyalty and her dignity. Both Kate and Corwin made many mistakes as regards their romantic relationship, but their connection is palpable, and their moments hearwarming. So naturally, I ship them.Onyx and Ivory is a complex and gripping story, a pageturner that will awaken both the adventurer and the romantic in you!P.S. It is not a standalone. That's the explanation for the abrupt ending. I wish I knew it back then. *cue the violins*Review also posted on BookNest!

wow. 2018 has truly blessed us when it comes to new fantasy series, and you can go ahead and add this book to that list of many. 'onyx and ivory' created a unique world filled with a host of interesting characters, hidden magic and dangerous dragons, cunning plots and deception, and not to mention a lovely romance. honestly, this had everything i love in these types of fantasy stories. but i thought the characters were the most impressive. and honestly, there wasnt one in particular that i preferred or enjoyed more, but what was impressive was how well they meshed together. they each had their own purpose and part to play in the story, and i thought their interactions and how well they played off each other as a whole was really fantastic. it was a such great array of people to follow along this journey.i will admit the book began with a slow start/took a while for things to pick up and the writing was a little cheesy at times, but this was a really solid beginning to what i think will be a riveting series! ps. anyone who loves horses will really enjoy this. i had no idea horses could take on such a massive role in a story!↠ 3.5 stars

So much yes! Loved this.

Overall this was a really solid first book in a series! It started off a little slow, but that's understandable, as there was a lot of world building to be done, scene setting, an introducing characters and whatnot. This book is written in a split perspective (3rd person) between the 2 main characters, Corwin & Kate, which I really enjoyed! It's nice seeing how they both think and feel and what they're up to when they'er not together. I did really like both of the characters, but I would've liked to see them developed a bit more, see more of their personalities come out. Also, the supporting characters were wonderful, and tbh, sometimes more interesting than the two main ones! haha. I love all of the relationships between them all. There are some great platonic male/female relationships which are honestly wonderful to see. I would've liked some more world building and information about the magic system, and how things came to be, and their belief systems etc. Like we got to know the basics of it all, but it didn't feel like quite enough for my liking, but hopefully more of that will be explained as we get into the second book! Once the plot got going, it was so packed full of action and information, mystery and twists and I honestly loved it! I wasn't expecting what happened towards the end tbh, and I love it when a plot twist hits you unexpectedly. I can't wait to see where this plot is gonna go after the way it ended!It was slow going at first, but the second half, wow! I have high hopes for the next book

This was excellent! Best friends to lovers is so rare in YA fantasy, so I definitely enjoyed that aspect! I liked the magic system, the political intrigue, the characters...all of it really! The pacing was also on point because I managed to fly through over 400 pages in one sitting and barely noticed. xD I can’t wait to read the finale!

This book is a solid 4 stars for me. I enjoyed it especially because the author is a horsewoman, and threw us a lot of relatable little equestrian moments! The colt blowing snot all over the prince and Kate kind of put the book into my heart.🐴The worldbuilding and characters both were pretty great too. I liked all the history and geography and history of magic that was given. I could have cut 100 pages out with no trouble though - not that we don't love endless banter and background, but it was a super long book. Lots of little side plots and the uror trials ended up being a little lackluster. More badass flightless dragons and magic horses, less talk! I nornally do not take so long to read a book but I kept putting it down, at least until the last 100 pages. 🐴I know Arnett got a bit of criticism for the ending but hey - I am a little sick of reading about overcomplicated relationships where someone gets killed or someone is abusive or they have to go through all this trauma - I enjoyed the fairly simple relationship arc and relatively happy ending🐴I need book 2 now but I am afraid... due to the summary blurb.....that either Corwin or Bonner is getting killed off. Uck no, Bonner is my new Yates and I will cry. Bonus points if you get that reference!🐴I have no problem recommending this book to fans of the genre!

3.5 -3.7*Buddy-reading with Geo 💞It has a promising plot, but occasionally was a bit slow.

This is one of those books that leaves you with the question: why didn’t I read this sooner!?Onyx & Ivory is a truly stunning story that captivated me from the moment Kate and her steed Pip were introduced. Mindee Arnett has created a fascinating and complex world with the Kingdom of Rime, it’s history rich and it’s people full of passion for their causes.I loved the representations of friendship, love and family we see in this story, for there are many forms present - each one driving the characters toward a precipice of discovery that cannot be unlearned. Not only is this a story about Kate Brighton – Traitor Kate – it is also the story of Corwin Tormane, the Errant Prince of Rime who disappeared for two years after Kate’s father betrayed the throne. Where was he all that time and who is he now?Kate herself, rider with the Relay (think: Pony Express), wields forbidden wilder magic and must keep is concealed from most around her, for its discovery means her death. The stakes become even more dire when her and her companions are offered a place back amongst the court, an opportunity she seizes, hoping it will bring her the answer of why her father attempted to kill his king and friend.This story encompasses powerful and dangerous magic, dragon-like creatures called drakes, courtly intrigue, well built friendships, faithful horses and compelling romance. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something that is both traditional fantasy but also something new entirely! I absolutely loved it and was sucked in the moment I started it. The audiobook is also fantastic, narrated by veteran voice actor Khristine Hvam (known for Daughter of Smoke & Bone and the Country Saga). Can’t wait for the next!

HOLY CRAP! I've read 125 books so far this year and this is definitely one of my favourites! so good! I am absolutely in love with the magic, politics and characters. The villain reveal COMPLETELY blindsided me! I adored the romance.

♦ Video Review ♦ "The world changes, the wheel spins, and so we must change as well. That is what it means to lead - finding the wisdom to bring change when it's needed and to hold fast when it's not." Onyx & Ivory was an overall very enjoyable reading experience for me. While it's a little bit slow in parts and tends to fall into old YA Fantasy cliches, it also offers some unique and fresh aspects.The characters were definitely my favourite part. I liked both the main characters, Kate and Corwin, and seeing the story unfold from both of their perspectives made a lot of sense and really benefited the story. The character's voices were easy to distinguish so I never had an issue with forgetting whose perspective we're currently reading from, which tends to happen to me quite a lot in multiple POV stories. Especially Corwin's character development was interesting to read. You always know he is a good person and wants to do what's right but he's relearning some of the things he has believed in his whole life and it's great to see his morals change.The side characters were all so well done too. I especially loved Kate's friends, Signe and Bonner and Corwin's friend, Dal. These were the characters that stood out to me the most and that I wanted to know much more about. I really hope that we maybe get some of their POVs in the (very probable) sequel because while I still wanna know what happens to Kate and Corwin, I don't think their perspective is important for whatever comes next. The pacing was definitely very slow at times. And while that doesn't necessarily has to mean anything bad, especially in Fantasy, I did think it made the story less engaging for me. In general the writing, while often able to evoke an emotional response from me, never made me feel the fear and danger that I like in Fantasy. Somehow even in the action scenes, I never felt the rush of a fight or daring escape.The world building was overall interesting. It's pretty basic as far as the standards go but I thought there were some really refreshing aspects in it. I really loved the inclusion of contraceptives and especially a political discussion regarding overpopulation and the financial issues of the poorer population with feeding a family and/or affording contraceptives. I was honestly so impressed to see this discussion in a YA Fantasy.The most disappointing aspect of this novel for me was probably the romance. You might know that I really enjoy romantic storylines but this sadly fell really flat for me. I think people who don't enjoy romance will not be bothered by it at all, as it doesn't play a big role in the story. I just wish that the few parts we had were much more fleshed out. Because the characters already know each other their whole life and basically have already fallen in love, I get that we don't need as much of it. But I was just missing a spark. There was tension but I couldn't feel it. This really offered so much great potential and I thought it was wasted.Overall I would definitely recommend this novel if the synopsis sounds interesting to you. Nothing about this is outstanding but it's a solid YA Fantasy.♦ Booktube Channel ♦ Twitter ♦ Instagram ♦I received an ARC of this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!

This was really enjoyable! It’s a high-stakes fantasy with highly fleshed out characters, subversive elements like girls who save princes 🙌🏻, dragons without wings who only come out at night, slow. burn. romance. and tons of satisfying twists and turns! I particularly recommend this if you love horses because it’s clear Arnett has a fondness for them. ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

buddy read with BopeepIt took me more time to read this than I would’ve liked because reading slumps are a bitch.The writing was great and wordier than I’m used to, to be fair I’ve gotten used to audiobooks so much that it may be a problem, but I loved the descriptive writing because it just flows and is easy to read. The main characters, Kate and Corwin, are well written in my opinion. They are relatable with their fears, insecurities, emotions and their actions, which is refreshing. Other characters were good too, although I would’ve wanted to know more about them, for example, Signe, she’s a mystery. Dal was more present at the beginning where he had more page time, but after that, even though he appeared, he wasn’t as charming, which I understand because things happened.One thing that wasn’t that great, but I’m not minding it because I liked the writing and the characters, was the plot, or maybe the way it was written. The things happening were too easy for the characters I didn’t feel anxious about the drakes or any other thing that was happening. Things did change a bit towards the end where some action finally happened.I’m intrigued to see how things will play out in the next book because stuff happened and some stuff needs to get sorted.