Ein Reich aus Silber und Magie is the first book in the Everlasting Fate duology. The book with the gorgeous cover and pretty sprayed edges promised a tale of magic and adventure in a world tinted with oriental elements. Alas, my high hopes were shattered completely, leaving me disappointed and unfazed. The story had so much potential, but the author failed to utilise the world it is set in to her advantage. The tale features an unlikely pair, Leianna and Ilya, who meet under peculiar circumstances. Ilya an-Ifrahan, the legendary thief, has been captured by a group of lowly bounty hunters. During his brief captivity, he meets Leianna, an unassuming and quiet girl who seems to have accepted her fate. Taking pity on Leianna, Ilya drags her along when he manages to escape the bounty hunters. Their escape turns into an action-packed chase with danger in various forms hot on their heels. Up to this point, the plot sounds terrific, so why did it fall short for me? First and foremost, I could not form any attachment towards the characters. For the entirety of the book, Leianna was wallowing in self-loathing, portraying herself as a monster who deserves to die. She did not show any signs of self-preservation, a result of her grievous past, and although I could understand her relinquishing hope, her willingness to die was annoying. Ilya is funny and charismatic, which made me like him at first. But my positive perception of him performed a volte-face when he started hooking up with someone else despite constantly flirting with Leianna and knowing full well the effect he has on her. What an imbecile! Apart from obnoxious characters, the story also seemed to lack a leitmotif, a sense of purpose. It was unclear what the characters were running from and ultimately running towards. We know that Emperor Maxim is ruling Fenestrea with an iron fist, persecuting young women with a certain magical ability. What is his endgame? And more importantly, why is he immortal? His character is one of the fuzziest in the story, albeit being one of the most crucial villains. What is it with the demons that haunt Shams, Ilya’s home? Questions upon questions remain after finishing this book, which is unsatisfactory to say the least.

Seite 43 - „Ich liebe Felldecken, sie sind wärmer, als jeder Stoff es je sein könnte“. Ah ja. Seite 52 - „Meine Nerven sind heute nicht mehr viel strapazierfähiger als ein Kamelhaar.“ 🫩 Ich werde das einfach zu einer Ansammlung der besten Zitate werden lassen. Die unpassende Nutzung der Worte „glorreich“ und „verdammter (Nomen)“ mindestens drei mal in jedem Kapitel irritiert mich extrem. MEINE Nerven gleichen denen eines Kamelhaars. An der Stelle möchte ich tatsächlich aufhören, die Autorin zu kritisieren. Ich bezweifle nicht, dass sie ihr Bestes gegeben hat. Leider muss ich das Buch abbrechen.

Ich habe das Buch nach etwa der Hälfte abgebrochen, weil es mich einfach überhaupt nicht gepackt hat. Die Geschichte konnte mich zu keinem Zeitpunkt fesseln und ich hatte keinerlei Motivation weiterzulesen. Das größte Problem waren für mich die beiden Protagonisten. Ich fand beide auf ihre eigene Art extrem unsympathisch. Sie verbringt gefühlt das halbe Buch damit zu jammern und zu weinen, während er unglaublich arrogant und eingebildet wirkt. Mit keinem von beiden konnte ich mitfühlen oder mitfiebern. Die zwei Sterne gibt es trotzdem, weil mir das Worldbuilding ganz gut gefallen hat. Die Welt hatte Potenzial und wirkte interessant, weshalb ich schade finde, dass mich der Rest der Geschichte so gar nicht überzeugen konnte. Leider hat das für mich nicht gereicht, um das Buch zu Ende zu lesen.