Nora knows three things: she is a servant, her parents are dead, and she lives in the kitchen house with her adoptive family. But her world is torn apart when she discovers that her birth father has always been right there, living in the house she serves.
This discovery leads Nora to more questions. Why was she thrown in an ash-covered room for asking about her father? Why is a silver-bladed knife the only inheritance from her birth mother? Why is magic forbidden in her household—and throughout the province of the Runes? The answers may not be the ones Nora hoped for, as they threaten a possible romance and her relationship with the adoptive family she loves.
With the announcement of a royal ball, Nora must decide what she is willing to give up in order to claim her stolen birthright, and whether this new life is worth losing her family—and herself.
Reviewed by Robin Goodfellow for Reader's Favorite
Owl Eyes by Molly Lazer is a dark fantasy novel about learning who you are, and knowing who your real family is...In this twisted fairytale, Lazer shows what it truly means to earn your happy ending, and the sacrifices you must endure to survive.
Nora was a complex character that I loved reading about. What started off as her being only curious turned into something truly wicked...Lazer has created a heroine who had little knowledge about the outside world and morality, a character who was easily led astray by her own emotions. What’s more, incorporating elements such as blood magic adds a layer of darkness to the story, something that I fell in love with. As such, I would recommend it to fans of Milk Teeth and Other Fairy Tales with Bite by Lizella Prescott and Feasts of Fates by Christian A. Brown.
