Rose Petal Graves (The Lost Clan #1)

**Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review. 3 stars!!! When I started reading this book, I was pretty psyched. The concept of faeries and faerie hunters mixed with Native American culture seemed interesting and original. However, I found the story to be just pleasant. It was not groundbreaking or overly different which is a shame in my opinion. So, before I go into the negatives of the novel, I'll try and break down what I liked. At the start of the story, I liked how Olivia introduced the characters. The pacing was brisk and her writing style is quite succinct. The chapters were compact which made reading a breeze. There is not much worldbuidling but I liked how the story was set in a small town. The community vibe of the novel is rather engaging. I also liked how the story was inspired by Native Indian heritage and I liked her take on it. The idea behind using a book to explain the magic system and history was a novel concept. This meant that there wasn't too much info-dumping. It was either referred to in the story or spoken by characters. However, this also made things a bit confusing because some stuff was thrown at the reader and I was scrambling to understand how the magic system worked. The hunters and fae have various abilities but none of it is explained properly. In terms of the characters, the MC Catori is quite an independent girl. I liked the idea of her being a medical student. But I feel she gives into the commands of strange men quite easily. I would have liked seeing her taking more of a proactive approach to things as opposed to just acquiescing to what others say. I think I would have liked her to be more badass. Hopefully, book two makes up for this and we see more character development. I also would have liked to see stronger relationships like a fierce friendship. There seems a dearth of engaging female side characters in this novel. Most of the characters are men and majority of them seem to be somewhat attracted to the MC - Ace, Cruz, Blake and Kajika. So we have a love geometry going on which is off putting. Don't get me wrong, I love romance even love triangles but when too many characters are vying for the MC's attention, the feels are lost. What could have turned into an epic romance becomes trivial. That being said, I also feel that there weren't enough plot devices to take the story from one point to another. Or situations were forced together to get ahead. The story hinges mostly on Catori learning about her heritage and doesn't make much progression. There are reveals but none of the shocking kind. I'm guessing the story is going to get resolved over the course of a series but still I would have liked to see a bigger picture in place like what are the characters aiming at and how will they achieve their goals. I think this book would have done well with a cliffhanger. It needs more excitement. Anyway, as I said it was a pleasant read. I do intend to read the sequel, hopefully, there are more heart-thumping scenes in that one. Maybe that's what I was expecting. Would I recommend reading this novel? Yes, if you are looking for a quick and light afternoon read, then go ahead.

#faerie #NativeAmerican #mystery #youngadult #OliviaWildenstein #fantasy