Books written by Mara Rutherford, published 2019-2020.
The island of Varenia is known for two things: pearls and beautiful women. Both are claimed by the kingdom of Ilara. The pearls are coveted for their value as gems and their medicinal properties. Every generation, a Varenian girl is betrothed to Ilara’s heir to the throne.
For Nor and Zadie, pearls and the betrothal consume every waking moment of their lives. Without any brothers to help provide for their family, Nor and Zadie are responsible for diving for pearls, but as Varenian young women, they are candidates to be the next Ilarean princess, an honor their mother is obsessed with. Only one young woman may be chosen, and all eyes are focused on Zadie. It’s no surprise to Nor. Ever since the accident that left her too scarred to be seriously considered, Nor expected the honor to fall to her twin sister just like everyone else. But secretly, Nor dreams of lands and life beyond Varenia’s docks and reefs, and can’t help but feel jealous when Zadie is in fact chosen to go to Ilara. The tides turn for both sisters when Zadie is unexpectedly injured before her departure and Nor is elected to go in her sister's place. Nor’s excitement at being on land for the first time in her life is quickly quelled. Her home at Ilara’s New Castle is cold and dark, a perfect reflection of her intended, Prince Ceren. And as Nor learns to navigate a new life of politics and proper society, she discovers that the life of a Varenian bride is more dangerous than anyone at home could have prepared her for.
I liked this duology okay. The first book is a little slow in the beginning, but once Nor left Varenia and began experiencing new things, the pace picked up. Other than that, there really isn’t anything in particular that I didn’t like about the books. The characters all have well-written development, the plot is suspenseful and well-rounded, and the world-building is simple yet engaging. They’re good books, they just didn’t speak out to me as much as some of the other books I’ve been reading lately. It did remind me vaguely of The Hunger Games, so if you’re a fan of that, you may like it more than I do.
This duology contains swearing, lots of blood, and violence including murder and suicide.
Now, to go a little more in-depth . . . Our spoiler alert is officially in effect!
“But I was coming to realize that beauty—at least as defined by my people—was more of a burden than a gift. To one of us, if offered the chance to leave Varenia, but was that really freedom if we didn’t get to choose it for ourselves?”
I liked that Nor and Zadie were named for coral and pearl respectively. It was a nice motif and it provided a unique insight into Nor and Zadie’s relationship. Blood coral grows from the corpses of Varenians that have been buried at sea. It’s known to be lethal; a single scratch is enough to kill a grown man. The blood coral is a perfect symbol for Nor. Nor deals with a lot of opposition. Her entire village turns on her at one point, along with most of Ilara. She’s buried underneath all of this prejudice and self-doubt, but she never fails to rise and fight. Despite the fact she was born and bred to be a submissive wife, Nor is her own force of nature.
Varenian pearls that have turned pink or red from the blood coral are at least five times more valuable than ordinary white ones. Zadie is beautiful like a Varenian pearl, and everyone around her values her like one; she is the sought-after thing that her parents believe will be their saving grace. But what’s interesting is that most people only think of Zadie as a white pearl when I think she’s more of a pink/red one. The other Varenians think that Zadie is valuable individually, that Nor is only a detriment to her reputation, but there is so much of Zadie that is inspired by Nor. Nor is what gives Zadie strength of character and makes her more than just another Varenian bride. Zadie wants to help and protect her twin, but she doesn’t share many other similarities with Nor. Like the coral and pearl, Zadie is as much her own element as Nor is hers. It was a nice way to help visualize the differences between the sisters and how that makes their bond stronger.
Ceren was a good villain. He actually reminded me of Loki from the MCU. Ceren is crafty, cunning, abysmal, and untrustworthy, but somehow seemed to still have a shred of humanity. I kept wondering if he would actually change sides because of his feelings for Nor. There’s no denying that he fell in love with her. He was clearly infatuated with the fact that she saved his life because hers would have been much safer if he was dead. Also, Ceren proposed to her at the end of the first book when he wasn’t expected to. By that time, he didn’t need Nor for literally anything, especially if he was sure he was going to be able to take the throne for himself. He just wanted to be loved and accepted for who he was, just like we all do. I was sad about his death. It actually felt like a waste, that he would rather die the villain than live to try and redeem himself. That being said, I’m with Nor, and I don’t necessarily forgive him for all of his cruelty.
What did you guys really like about this duology? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to leave a comment below!
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