Review of You Are Mine

Synopsis

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Review

I really enjoyed You Are Mine. It has a great premise; the world is filled with magical power but only men are taught how to use it, women are seen as second class citizens whose only use is to bring magically powerful baby boys into the world.

This book is filled with characters that you will love to hate but there are also several characters that bring light to the cruel world that they live in. Serena is very strong even in this world that oppresses women so badly. She isn’t the type of person to blindly do what she is told but instead does what she believes to be right even if it will bring her negative consequences.

Zade is a very interesting character. Despite his people being referred to as barbarians they seem more civil and less barbaric than those from Serena’s country. He has to walk the line between fitting in to a new place with different customs and doing what he believes to be right. Zade is very mysterious and that adds to his appeal.

There are also a few secondary characters that were well developed and a joy to read about. I love it when the author clearly hasn’t ignored all the smaller characters in the book.

Most of what happens is pretty predictable but the book is still very good. I thought the world building and development in this novel was really good. I have read several other books based on a society where women are second class citizens but this still managed to feel fresh and unique.

I think that this story still has so much more to give so I hope that You Are Mine is the first in a series. This world has so much more to be explored and I hope to see Serena grow and her relationship with Zade develop. I would definitely recommend You Are Mine to paranormal and fantasy fans as well as those who love strong and rebellious female characters.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, this has not affected my opinions or rating in any way*