The Quick Cut: A magical portrait artist with the ability to alter people's bodies finds her life in danger when she's asked to use her magic to bring someone back to life.
A Real Review: Thank you to Inkyard Press for providing the ARC for an honest review. Art is any form has a way of changing our lives, but what if it had the ability to change our bodies? In this story about a portrait artist with a magical secret, that ability puts her in the line of fire when she takes on a powerful client. Myra has a magical secret behind her artistry. She's a Prodigy, someone who can alter a person's body based on the portrait she paints of them. New hair color or an unexpected wound? She can handle them both with a sweep of her brush. This magical ability makes her a target too, especially for the governor who sees Prodigy as demonic. So when the governor's wife asks Myra to use her magic to bring her son back to life, she refuses until she's blackmailed into it. Can she use her Prodigy to bring back the dead? Or will it kill her instead? I was really surprised by how unique this story turned out to be! It's marketed as a fantasy story, but it's really a mystery with fantasy elements. The combination is exciting and different and thrilling to read. Myra is a complex character in difficult circumstances. She's supporting herself and her baby sister as a portrait artist using a magical skill that makes her a target. She's trying to keep what family she has safe because her parents disappeared a year prior. It's a lot to be going through for any individual! She takes a hard situation and does what she can do get what's being asked of her without putting anyone else in the line of fire. August is one of the governor's sons and spends a lot of the story trying to help Myra bring his brother back. It's interesting to see his character really unfurl as the story continues on. At first, I thought he would be a secondary character, but he becomes a main character in his own right with Myra. He starts the story as a shy guy who is just trying to stay out of his father's eyeline. He ends up a more confident character who stands up for what he believes in. His transformation is so inspiring. Anxiety also plays a role in the story as well, especially for August. While anxiety isn't a part of the primary plot, the book does a great job at using what is happening to let the reader know it's okay to be anxious. It is a piece of who you are and doesn't make you broken. As some who suffers from Generalized Anxiety, it was heartwarming to read. Although there were a few slow spots, the story was overall exciting and enjoyable. Well worth a read if you enjoy mystery and fantasy stories! My rating: 4.5 out of 5
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