Book Club Review February: Radiance by Grace Draven

For Feb we read Radiance by Grace Draven. The story begins with our couple on their wedding day. They are two different species and are being married off to set an alliance in place between their kingdoms. He is grey, has giant razor-sharp teeth and claws, and alien eyes that are all one color. Here is what she says about his appearance:

"Had you crawled out from under my bed when I was a child, I would have bludgeoned you to death with my father's mace."

She looks like a normal girl to us. Red hair, white skin. Basic. But, to him, SHE is hideous. Her teeth remind him of horse's teeth. Her eyes, having whites and pupils, freak him the hell out.

Yet, despite all their obvious differences they bond through their humour and the first time they meet had me laughing really hard. Those two are nothing but honest with each other and I loved this so much! They might have totally different cultures, habits and appearances but they are both kind and merry souls. Their relationship starts with mutual understanding and at first it’s nothing more than friendship. It was something I really appreciated because they like what’s inside of each other and therefore try to ignore their outside appearances. Well, at least at first.

She drew a circle on his chin with her fingertip. "Your skin color reminds me of a dead eel I once saw on the beach."

"Wolf," she said softly.
"Horse," he replied just as quietly.

I found the overall story good as it kept things moving and interesting. I enjoyed their relationship, banter and all the quirks of this story.

You can find a paperback copy here or it is also available on kindle here.