Bring Me Their Hearts
by Sara Wolf
Fairytale
Fantasy
Horror
Romance
Supernatural
Suspense/Thriller
* * * * Stars (Great!)
When Zera’s family was murdered by bandits, she alone was saved – by a witch (Nightsinger) – who turned her “Heartless” by removing her physical heart and placing it in an ensorcelled jar. Heartless have some wonderful abilities due to their ties to their witches (they can’t die, and their wounds heal almost instantly), but they can’t remember much about their human lives and they have an almost insatiable hunger for flesh, which can be dangerous if uncontrolled. The uneasy peace between humans and witches is threatened by the blood-thirsty Archduke, Gavik, who has been given free reign to terrorize them, and subsequently the king’s human subjects who happen to get in the way of his machinations. Nightsinger and her fellow witches have formed a desperate plan to prevent another war (which could be their undoing) that involves Zera impersonating a noble lady and potential bride for Prince Lucien d’Malvane – the king’s only remaining heir – which will bring her close enough to steal his actual heart and make him a hostage for the witches. Her payment will be her freedom. The stakes and potential for failure are high, especially as Zera begins to know Lucien’s true nature. Filled with witty banter and moral dilemmas, this is an exciting and suspenseful read with feisty characters and just a bit of romance. Dark and thrilling, like the best fairytales.
Reviewed by YA Librarian
