Mother of Pearl Book Review
Taking another being’s life was never something I’d imagined doing.
Now all I could imagine was taking their souls to hell, even if it would make my own burn there too.
Synopsis
Lured to a mystical land, Valeri must learn to harness a power deep within her. Orphaned at a young age, sisters Valeri and Amelia shouldered the household responsibilities in their small village of Noor. Valeri was the hunter; Amelia the gatherer. While fishing one day, Valeri follows her instinct into the depths of the ocean despite a raging storm. She discovers the Mother of Pearl shell - which unbeknownst to her, unlocks the secrets of her ancestral power. Knocked unconscious by the storm and washed ashore in a foreign land, she soon realizes she is thousands of miles from her sister, and there are wicked plans afoot. As she struggles to find a way to return home to her sister, Valeri befriends Prince Rulin at the magical court. In each other, they find purpose. But she must harness the newfound power within her blood first.
REVIEW
Book 1 of Blanka H. Madow’s Precious Stones series, Mother of Pearl follows the female main character, Valeri, while she navigates a world where powers lie dormant within her after being separated from her sister, who is now thousands of miles away. While the story has a slow start, it gradually builds momentum, offering some thoroughly descriptive world-building. Valeri’s character, while underwhelming, undergoes growth and transformation as she discovers her powers and learns more about the world around her. However, it was the character of King Nicholai that I found intriguing and appealing. I’m excited to see how Valeri’s character is developed in subsequent books, as well as read more about King Nicholai as I feel there’s much more to him than the taste we got here. Finally, the writing is evocative, touching on dark and morally grey themes. It has a certain ACOTAR vibe, which will resonate with fans of that series. In the end, Mother of Pearl leaves you wanting more, and it’s a promising start to a series that holds great potential.
Content warnings include nightmares, torture, panic attacks, and death.
Publication date was 20 August 2022.
Author Profile
Blanka H. Madow was born and raised in Zagreb, Croatia. Growing up, she was an avid reader of fantasy novels, inspiring her to write her own stories. Her debut novel, Mother of Pearl, is the first in a Precious Stones series. When she is not writing, she is still reading, now in a smaller town. Blanka writes New Adult Fantasy – perfect for escapists.
TL;DR
- Rating: 3.5 stars | Genre: Fantasy | Pages: 268
- Book 1 of Precious Stones series
- Morally grey
- Descriptive world-building
- Slow start, but picks up after a few chapters
- Female main character was underwhelming, but loved King Nicholai
- ACOTAR vibes
- Will leave you wanting more!
- CWs: nightmares, torture, panic attacks, death
Want more?
See my review of Book 2, Eye of Hawk, HERE!
