Rellyh

Review copy from Netgalley

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this one.

Hynd Perrett is a royal scholar who is a survivor of a terrible disease called “Blight’s” that he was infected with at the age of 14. After spending a year in an asylum he was released when he went into remission. The disease has left him horribly disfigured with painful scars on his face and a deformed hand.

The author does a good job conveying his aloneness and embarrassment in the face of other peoples fear and disgust. Even with his gentle temperament he is no walk over. He doesn’t allow anyone to befriend him unless it is in the open, he will never allow himself to become the invisible friend. His relationship with his sister Alycia is also well developed. She is his champion in a world where unfortunately he needs one.

Hynd is writing a book about the mysterious disappearance of the Seventh Dragoon and while researching his sister Alycia introduces him to Julius Ocere a man who has a personal interest, due to his great grandfather being accused of their murders. Their first meeting ends terribly. Julius Ocere is a hard character to get a read on in the beginning. His reactions in the beginning are a pure human reaction. He is clearly wary and scared of Hynd’s disease but at the same time trying his best to move past it. He is upfront with Hynd stating that he only wants his knowledge and access to his materials, not a relationship.

Their relationship was well done. It was definitely a slow burn, which worked in this book. They became friends first, so Julius’s turnabout was easy to understand. He got to know the man not the disease.

The story kept me entertained with the mystery of the Dragoons, with pieces of the puzzle fitting together nicely in the end. I will definitely be looking up more of this author’s work