Katherine Rawson

Desperation by Becca Ryden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


“Desperation” is a whirlwind of magic, mystery, and suspense. The story centers around Charlotte and Aurek, whose destinies were intertwined from a young age as they were meant to rule the Sky Throne together. Their love seemed perfect. However, after Charlotte’s parents are murdered, Aurek appears quite guilty, and Charlotte escapes with her infant sister. They spend more than a decade amidst humans in our world.

Becca Ryden weaves an extraordinary narrative, infusing parts of the Otherworld with ours in quite humorous ways. I appreciate the contrast between Charlotte’s manners and how human society has changed them. The injection of mythology was very well done, offering easy explanations for things that would normally defy logic, such as charms and ‘tasting lies.’ Charlotte is a heroine worth rooting for. A powerful royal who had everything given to her was suddenly left alone with the responsibility for her sister in a strange world without her powers. She ends up growing into a strong, feisty, snarky, and independent woman. I’m not going to spoil the read by discussing Aurek, but he is the reason this book is Romantic Fantasy. He does not disappoint.

While the book is a little on the lengthy side and some parts slow down a bit, there are a lot of characters and stories to be told, so I understand the page length, and it didn’t take away from the story. I think some of the length is due to revisiting events from two different points of view, with one character telling us what happened and then later, the other character hearing what happened. One incongruent part that I found is that Charlotte was never taught or curious enough to ask about her animus. With someone so important and powerful, like the animus her mother possessed, you’d think she would know about it. That being said, the explanation was a good way to build trust between characters. Charlotte’s emotional turmoil and the love between Charlotte and Aurek’s animus are beautifully written. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.



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