Sisters of the Perilous Heart

In Sisters of the Perilous Heart, we follow two sets of characters that eventually intersect. First we have Vivian, newly crowned and now dying Queen of Kepler, and her brothers, Nathanial and Bastian (Nate and Bast). An attempt on Vivian's life - at her coronation, no less - has infected her with the Immortality Virus, and there is no cure. It's possible that her mother was behind the attempt on Vivian's life, so the siblings are trying to stay clear of Mom while they also search for some way to keep Vivian alive. Then we have sisters Carina and Miguela. They've been living at a convent/brewery since their parents were killed by Immortals when they were younger. The day comes, though, when they have to flee the place that has been their haven. Their plans for getting to safety change when Max, a young man of mysterious origin, suggests a destination other than the one they set out for.

Vivian, Nate, and Bast, as Royals, know they have magic. Nate and Bast's magical energy is what's keeping Vivian alive, but they can't keep that up indefinitely. Carina has spent her life avoiding using her magic. As a supposed Mortal, she's grown up hearing that magic is bad, dangerous, that she can't use it or the Immortals will find her. When the Royals realize that someone not part of their family has what appears to be strong magic, they hope to convince her to help Vivian. That doesn't work out so well.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters did act like teenagers, but it's billed as a teen novel, so I'm okay with that. And the book may not be prize-winning literature, but it is a whole lot of fun (and given the world in which we currently live, I prefer to read things that are fun!). The world-building is solid, and the characters are all wonderfully flawed. There is something to like about each of our main characters, and something that made me want to shake each of them, too. There's a little bit of romance, not so much that it's overwhelming, and the action of the story moves along at a good pace. And the ending was a humdinger! I'm ready to read book two, please and thank you.

My only real peeve is the interjection of log entries from characters whose relation to the story and the other characters doesn't become clear until nearly the end of the book. I spent too much energy trying to figure that out, and the book would have done just as well with a log entry in the beginning and the introduction of those characters into the story at the end. But this didn't spoil my overall enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the author for an advance copy.