Book: The HIdden Mark by A.J. Moran
Reviewed by Booksbystarlightandshadows
Rating: 3.5/5
There were a lot of things I enjoyed in The Hidden Mark, namely Nolan, a forbidden wings, secret plots and mysterious bonds, but the world building was a little light for me. Lindsay had no experience of the supernatural world beyond what she had seen on TV (I loved the Charmed and Buffy references!) and as much as I liked she just got on with things, I needed a bit more exposition to really get immersed in the world. There is a one liner dropped from Kael about Lindsay being kept in the dark but he never really fills in the gaps about the Council nor the politics and it just left me looking for more info.
I'm always a little of suss of insta-bestie friendships and I'm not sure where I sit with Tamsin yet. There's a mean girl void which is refreshing but I was expecting more bullying from the general student body to go with the "know your place/you don't belong here" trope. The closest we get is grumpy Raiden who just ignores her mostly and Auron and his superiority complex. This is slow burn and Nolan is the star of the show as the super sweet cinnamon roll although I loved Kael's hints at possessiveness every time he popped out from his lurking.
The final couple of chapters flip everything on it's head and although there are POV chapters which hint at others having a plan for Lindsay, there isn't a clear villain yet. There will definitely be some fallout from that ending and I'm looking forward to seeing where book two goes.
My interpretation of the star system;
3 stars - I enjoyed it; would read the author again
4 stars - I really liked it; I am invested and definitely want more from this author/series
5 stars - I loved it; I engaged with this book completely until I finished it and it is one I will re-read