Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart by Helene Opocensky

Title: Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart

Author: Helene Opocensky

Publication date:  October 10, 2020

Pages: 380

Quick Thoughts

I was surprised at how much I loved this book. Fantasy books are always a bit hit and miss to me. I do admit that I am pretty picky with the genre, but this one really hit the mark for me.

What I loved most about this book was the all of the worldbuilding. Every element was developed with a great attention to detail. The history, the way the magic works, the reasons behind everything that happens, past and present, nothing was left out. The writing truly puts you inside the story, so you are surrounded by it in the best way possible.

The characters were also deeply developed, so I felt connected to all of them. They all had a purpose in the story, none of them felt like they were there just to take up space, which I really liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I don't have any complaints. If you're looking for a fantasy book with lots of attention given to the world-building, this book might be for you!

First Line Friday (8): Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart by Helene Opocensky

First Line Friday is a bookish tag hosted over at Abstract Books that is used to showcase your favourite first lines of books.

There really is something to be said about a good first line, and I'm going to be using this tag from now on to showcase my current read's first lines.

This week's First Line Friday is coming from Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart by Helene Opocensky. It was released on October 10, 2020, and I'm currently reading an ARC from Netgalley.

"They had him cornered. There were three of them, two guys and a pretty, dark-haired girl. Corbin figured they were about his age--sixteen, maybe a little older. He looked at the girl again--well, maybe a little younger. It didn't really matter. What mattered was that they had him cornered, and he had to do something about it."

I like this as a first line because it jumps right into the the kind of character Corbin is, quick thinking and resourceful.