Brimstone by Justine Rosenberg

Goodreads Synopsis

Sariel, a fugitive slave, is running from the desert mines, and from an Empire that is hungry for a new and mysterious metal that the alchemists call brimstone.

In a moment of mercy and lust, Ava Sandrino, herself a knight fallen from grace, shelters Sariel from his pursuers, and in the light of the moon, he speaks to her of a door. It is a gate that opens into a world that lies beyond the Northern Dark, over the edge of their farthest horizon. There, paupers rub shoulders with princes, and there are riches to be had by those with the will to seize them.

Swayed by Sariel’s tales of strange oceans and distant stars, and tired of a past that holds her down, Ava joins him on the trek to the kingdom where souls are remade. Together, they must cross a borderland that is the domain of magicians, the humans that serve them, and the One O’clock King: a faceless despot who guards the crossroads of worlds.

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Net Galley where (like off the internet as well) publishers are very choosy and there's always a bias against bloggers who aren't in the US and the UK (for the most part). You can keep on requesting books and they can see that you've reviewed those type of books on your blog but still the request gets rejected based on your location. We talk about diversity and inclusion but there is something or the other always hampering that inclusion. QOTD: Have you experienced it? #BookBlogger #BookBloggers #Bookstagram #BookstagramPk #Bookgram #BookgramPk #Igreads #igreadspk #NetGalley #Brimstone #JustineRosenberg #KindlePhoto #kindlepaperwhite #KindleReads #PakistaniReaders #PakistaniBookBloggers

A post shared by Hina Tabassum Khatri (@khatrihina) on May 15, 2020 at 8:52am PDT

Review

It is a Net Galley title which I wanted to read because of the book cover. It is one those that I fell in love with instantly so Kudos to whoever designed it. You’ve done a job well done.

Now for the story, I have loved myself a story where one just starts with the action; right in the middle of the story but this one starting thus left me in a lurch because it was a made up world of which I had no prior knowledge.

On top of that, it was not a full length novel but a novella which seemed to have been published presuming that the author is well aware of the world therein and that no explanation would be necessary.

That was the major downfall of the story because things did not make sense as I had no idea what one thing or the other was.

Seeing as  this is part of a trilogy, there are books to follow which may explain a lot of stuff that was just mentioned in this too short a story.

Over all, it is a 2.5 stars for in which 1 whole star is just for the cover.