Nothing makes me more excited than reading a new book by Claire Legrand. She is my most favorite author and I have loved every single one of her books. This was no exception. I loved it. Way too much, perhaps. I may have loved it too much to be able to write a review that will make sense, ha. Five stars, of course.

Then she meets the devastatingly handsome Talan d’Astier. His family destroyed themselves, seduced by a demon, and Talan, the only survivor, is determined to redeem their honor. Intrigued and enchanted, Gemma proposes a bargain: She’ll help Talan navigate high society if he helps her destroy the Basks. According to popular legend, a demon called The Man With the Three-Eyed Crown is behind the families’ blood feud—slay the demon, end the feud. But underneath every woman´s her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to be a guard of the priory of Rosewarren, where she and other shapeshifting female warriors protect the human realm of Edyn against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin, often forget that she exists since they are embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family from the North. A feud brought to life long ago by a demon called The Man with the Three-Eyed Crown. And worst of all, Gemma is the only Ashbourne to possess no magic. Instead, her body fights it like poison. Constantly ill, aching with loneliness, Gemma craves love and yearns to belong. A Crown of Ivy and Glass really wasn't the Fantasy book for me. My main problem with it was the writing style and how it fit more with a YA novel than an Adult one. It was very difficult to suspend my disbelief in regard to Gemma as a main character and narrator when she sounded like a young teenager most of the time.I'm disappointed. I had high expectations for this one and, sadly, the book didn't meet them. The ending did bring up some intriguing questions on Gemma and her family, though, but I won't be continuing the series to figure out those answers. This is the first book by this author for me. I have seen many of her books everywhere and was very curious about her writing style. This book starts out as a regency flavored romp, following Gemma Ashbourne as she befriends the foreign Talan d’Astier, and they form a pact to hunt down the demon responsible for the Ashbourne blood feud, and in exchange Gemma helps Talan integrate into high society. From there, things slowly devolve into madness. A book that started as parties and balls slowly unwinds to a dark fantasy horror, and I loved every second of the unspooling.

Book Description: Lady Gemma Ashbourne seemingly has it all. She’s young, gorgeous, and rich. Her family was Anointed by the gods, blessed with incredible abilities. But underneath her glittering façade, Gemma is deeply sad. Years ago, her sister Mara was taken to the Middlemist to guard against treacherous magic. Her mother abandoned the family. Her father and eldest sister, Farrin—embroiled in a deadly blood feud with the mysterious Bask family—often forget Gemma exists.Example two. I don’t know about you but for me it’s very hard to continue with a book if nothing interesting happens in the first 20%. The first 35% of this book read like a badly written fan fiction. REALLY badly write. From insta lust with somehow zero chemistry between two main characters to almost none to very confusing world building. Was the story a bit chaotic and muddled? 100%, but it was still incredibly fascinating, engaging, and exciting. Example five. I know I already mentioned zero chemistry between main love interests but It’s worth repeating because it doesn’t get better. The result is a genuine and exciting character arc that puts disability and mental illness in the spotlight for an honest, earnest evaluation. I appreciate that this book portraits a main character who suffers anxiety and the discussions on mental health and chronic pain, but that’s it. The plot felt all over the place, I found the characters very much one-dimensional—and Gemma particularly insufferable—and the insta-love romance made me cringe from beginning to end.