Title When Wishes Bleed
Author Casey L. Bond
Description from Amazon
The upheaval in my life began the moment a prince stumbled into my house and asked me to read his fortune. Any other night, I might have made an excuse to get him to leave, but this was no normal visit. My fingers prickled to touch him. So, I granted his request by handing him a single wishbone. When he snapped it, the wish … bled.
Hearing me suck in a shocked breath, he asked what it meant. Such an ominous omen could only mean one thing: his death was imminent. Fate revealed that he wouldn’t die of natural causes. Someone wanted him dead. Stunned by the revelation, the man I now knew as Prince Tauren disappeared into a night I feared he wouldn’t survive.
The following day, I received an invitation to the castle. While it seemed the prince believed I could intervene and uncover who was plotting his death, his motives didn’t stop there. I was being summoned to join twelve other women in vying for the opportunity to be his wife and future queen. Going could mean jeopardizing my plans to reclaim my heritage and resurrect the House of Fate. But staying would guarantee Tauren’s death, and the blood of his wish would be on my hands.
Initial Thoughts
The Hunger Games meets The Selection – what more could I want in a book?
Some Things I Liked
- Witches. I love books about witches (good witches to be specific). I don’t want to read monster books about them but I really enjoy reading about witches that use their power for good. Also, they usually make for excellent morally grey characters which I always love.
- World building and magic. I thought the world in this story was so interesting. It was a semi-dystopian setting. I say “semi” because It didn’t necessarily feel like this world came from ours sometime in the future, but rather was a somewhat less technologically advanced version. Similarly, there weren’t overtures of “dystopian vibes” here. I also really liked the use of elemental magic and the structure of Thirteen’s society.
- Fate as a character. I really liked Fate’s role in this story. He was mysterious and as the reader, he was difficult to trust. We never really saw his motivations until much later in the story.
Series Value
This is an extremely captivating world and I would love to go back and read about other characters. This book ends in a way that leaves you satisfied, but, I’d definitely read another installment as either a direct sequel or as a spin-off.
Final Thoughts
I saw this book on Instagram and this was totally a “bookstagram made me do it” purchase. And, I’m so glad I did. This book was great. It had everything I want in a book and had a really interesting take on witches in a unique setting.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendations for Further Reading
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – if you like competition settings in a dystopian world, give this series a try.
- The Selection by Kiera Cass – if you liked the Bachelor-style competition to win marriage to a prince, give this series a try.
- The Seventh Sun by Lani Forbes – if you liked the supernatural elements mixed with the romantic competition, give this upcoming release by Lani Forbes a try. This book comes out in January 2020.
Books Over Everything 