Heather’s Bookshelf: I Will Paint the Night
Author: Sam Muller
Released: 08/31/23
Genre: YA fantasy/coming-of-age
“I will not be a moth flailing against the light. I will be a firefly guided by her own light.
And I will pain the night in the brightest colors I could find.”
“I Will Paint the Night” introduces Allii, the daughter of the King and princess of Sallonia, living a sheltered life until her beloved stepmother is found murdered. A tragedy turns even worse when Allii is accused of the murder, forcing her to run away from the only home she’s ever known.
As soon as she escapes, Allii’s tracked down. About to be caught, Spooky, a daemon-dog, warns her and brings her to safety. Allii soon learns hard truths about her parents and those she thought loved her as she grew up. Investigating the truth about her mother’s history and what happened to her step-mother, Allii inadvertently engages in a quest of self-discovery.
Will Allii solve her step-mother’s murder, clear her name, and find her own purpose? Or will those scheming against her get their way in the end?
Trigger Warning: violence, murder
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. The author does a beautiful job of world building in a way that seems natural to the story- providing both enough detail to keep it in the fantasy realm while not being overly descriptive with minute descriptions. The story is told through the POV of the main protagonist, Allii, allowing for the reader to uncover truths about her past and her family as she does. The book is split into three main “books”. The first is all about Allii, her escape, and how she begins to realize truths. The second book is more about her journey (both literally and figuratively) to find her past, purpose, and plan. These lead to the third book which brings with it answers and resolution. This progression also demonstrates Allii’s evolution with the help of her friends and family along the way. One of the ways the author demonstrates the world building and Allii’s character development is with her interactions/relationship with Spooky (who is my favorite character). The ending wrapped everything up well while still keeping the tale available for futures stories.
This is a beautifully written story from start to finish, with depth in themes and relationships weaved in without making it a heavy read. I’d be happy to read future tales in what I hope is a series that blossoms from this strong start.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A coming-of-age with built in mystery and a strong protagonist that finds herself while solving the murder of her step-mother. Beautifully written and an intriguing start to this YA series.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Sam Muller
And this great blog post by the author!
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here
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