In a world where gender was distinguished by the eye color, blue for female and brown for male, she had the misfortune of being born as brown eyed girl. Being ugly and a freak to everyone was the least of her troubles. Immortal and destined to be a queen, her mere existence was a threat to the king. After everyone she loved was brutally murdered, she had no choice but to pursue the path she was destined. In a world that made it obvious there was no place in it for her, immortal Nette will have to make room even if it means killing them all.

This book is suitable for any age or gender, because it’s a story about a girl that has been stigmatized in a society just because she was different. To make it more absurd, the first reason was the color of her eyes. Her immortality just added to the fire!
Be it the color of the skin or worshiping a different God; I see hatred in our present society as equally absurd. I wanted to show how different people are treated, how our noble deeds can be overpowered by hate, and I spiced it up with a bit of romance.

My Review:

This is a book about a girl who was never given the chance to be happy. What little happiness she does find is hard-earned and well-deserved. I’ve always liked this type of storyline. Life is hard, and I like it when characters work for their word count. It makes me root for them all the harder, and you defiantly sympathise with Nette in this book. She is good-natured, strong-willed, and likable. Though from a very different genre, she reminded me a lot of Scarlett O’Hara in her ability to face disappointment head-on, straighten her back, and get on with the difficult task of getting on-to hell with society’s (or the nobility’s) opinion. I found myself really hoping that the next chapter would bring a lasting happiness, and this kept the pages turning.

It is very easy to fall into pace with Nette, since the story is told in the first person from her point of view. You are never left wondering what she is thinking, as you are in her head every step of the way. The story starts when she is very young. Too young, in fact, to understand what is happening around her. The reader, like Nette, must face the unknown assailants and figure it out. It then follows her amazing and prophecied life.

The story is fast-paced and engaging, and there is a colourful cast of supporting characters. I particularly loved Raul. The only thing that kept it from being a 5-stars (other than that I am very chincy with my 5-stars) is that it felt a little rushed at times—I would have liked a little more explanation of the whos, hows, and whys-and Rayne has a habit of dropping particles that takes some getting used to. This should in no way discourage readers. It is a fun and imaginative book that is well worth the read. I’ll definitely be up for reading another of Rayne’s books in the future.