Review: A series that deserves more attention
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 5, 2013
3.5 starsMine to Tarnish is an alternative look at the word built up in the Mine series. I loved You Are Mine and while I enjoyed Mine to Tarnish, it doesn't pack the same punch. Which is probably understandable as this is a companion novella and so it has limited capacity for world building.My recap of Mine to Tarnish:Katherine has a surprising amount of magic in her blood. But this is not good news as it means that has been matched with a warlock who is old, repulsive and worst of all cruel. Her mother helps her to flee but in this world where men hold all the magic and all the power, is it possible to just disappear?First Line of Mine to Tarnish:"I was never expected to marry well, as I wasn't bred to have large quantities of magic in my blood".My thoughts on Mine to Tarnish:I loved Katherine. I knew I would as I admired her greatly in the first book and was intrigued to find out what her story was. She is brave and considering that she has been put down all her life by men, she still has a feisty spirit. I did find it strange that she never considered what the consequences for her mother would be if she ran. I do get that she was desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures but I think I held that against her a little as it seemed short sighted and selfish.We don't get much more of an insight into the world than we did in Mine. It is still shocking and agonising to think about. Men just hold so much power that women don't stand a chance. The only hope lies in men like Charles and women who dare to take risks. Who is Charles? Good question! He is a tarnished man who rebels against the rules and does his bit to help those in trouble. He is Katherine's saviour and I breathed a little easier when she met up with him.It's a nerve-wracking read as I knew that the warlock wouldn't be content to just leave Katherine flee. That would be a woman getting one up on him and no way would he leave that happen. And with his magic powers, influence and money; the odds were in his favour.We knew from Mine what choices Katherine eventually made but not why. I loved her reasoning and it makes the title seem very profound. Overall though, the one question I really want answered is do women have magic powers? It is in their blood, there has to be a way for them to harness that potential and turn it into strength for them. I can't wait for book 2!Who should read Mine to Tarnish?This novella will work whether or not you have read You Are Mine so I'd recommend it to fans of YA fantasy. It's a very original world and even though I didn't love this novella the same way I loved Mine, I still enjoyed it and I think it is a series that deserves more attention.Thanks to NetGalley and Chardonian Press for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.