The Darkest Bloom (Shadowscent, #1)

by P M Freestone

 


A sensational debut fantasy adventure!
In the empire of Aramtesh, scent has power.


When disaster strikes and the crown prince lies poisoned, long-suppressed
rivalries threaten to blow the empire apart.


It's up to Rakel, a poor village girl with a talent for fragrances,
and Ash, the prince's loyal bodyguard, to find an antidote.



To succeed, the unlikely pair must uncover cryptic, ancient secrets
as well as buried truths from their own pasts in an adventure
that will ignite your senses.





Lush, beguiling YA fantasy woven through with romance

Perfect for fans of The Sin-Eater's Daughter & INK


Sensual and lyrical writing by an exciting debut author

P.M. Freestone is a Scottish Book Trust Award winner

Please note this book contains language more suitable for older
readers.

• ISBN13: 9781407192154
• Publish Date: 7 February 2019
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 16 November 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Scholastic
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[dragononabook]

3.5*

The Darkest Bloom is a layered fantasy build on several interesting and original concepts. The role of scent as such a dominant sense was interesting, and how Aramtesh was build around as well, but at times it felt like it was lacking the complexity that other parts of it had.

As the first book of a duology set in a secondary fantasy world, the world building is fairly solid. The path that the two main characters follow to achieve their quest of saving the Crown Prince Nisai lends itself well to exploring the different parts of Aramtesh. I would have appreciated a map here, because I admit that it was a little difficult to visualise the country as a whole, but each province that they visited didn't just feel like a cookie cutter copy of the first one that we were shown. I also liked the idea of the Council made up of the Emperor's wives, one from each province, I hope that this gets built on because I think it's an interesting concept.

Some of the language felt a little bit try-hard, terms like starwheel turns and moons. This may just be a personal issue, but I feel like this kind of takes me away from the world because I'm trying to figure out what things mean, and as something unusual used as a replacement for something common place it was a little jarring, but it wasn't necessarily a massive distraction by the end of the book.

The story is told from the point of view of two characters, Ash and Raquel. They both have different backgrounds and different motives, but end up coming together to fulfil the same goal: find a cure for Prince Nisai, who was poisoned. What I liked about Ash was how vague his background was, and how he knew so little about himself. I thought that this added to the tension of the story, as well as the worldbuilding in a way. It took me a while to warm up to Rakel, because the way she thinks is so different to me, but I found her motivations solid and I liked her resourcefulness and daring.

My favourite character was Nisai, which was slightly disappointing considering the whole plot revolves around him being in a coma, but he was smart and caring, which I can definitely get on board with, and I'm hoping to see more of him in the next book. An honourable mention to Esarik, for being a character who surprised me several times.

The plot itself felt slightly rushed, because they moved on quite fast, and figured everything out quite fast as well, but it would have been a very hefty novel if the plot were more detailed so I can understand why it was so condensed. I liked the quest-like nature of it, classic as it is in this particular genre, and I thought the way that the scent dominance of Aramtesh was blended in with the quest.

The Darkest Bloom slots itself quite nicely into YA secondary fantasy as a genre, in terms of the building blocks it uses, but while it did feel slightly cliché at times as a matter of personal preference, namely in terms of the relationships, it brought some interesting world building to the table and is overall still a solid debut and addition to the genre. I've already acquired the second book, and am interested to see where it goes.

[littleread1]

It was fine. Not bad, not great, but I will probably read the next book.

[Kelly]

Rakel Ana is an aspiring perfumer, currently selling her fragrances and scents on the black market to afford her fathers medication as the Affliction slowly claims his life. Since her mother passed away shortly after childbirth, Rakel and her father have struggled to make ends meet, moving out to the pastoral landscape outside of the city for a simpler life, growing up alongside childhood friend Barden who now is in the employ of the palace. Her father, once a decorated soldier for the Aphorain Province, survive on his meagre pension and barely scraping by. As his body is claimed by rotting flesh, Rakel has no other option but to use her skills as a Scent Maker and apply to become an apprentice perfumer of the capital, a position typically reserved for the children of the wealthy and prestigious families of the Aramtesh Empire.

Punished for insolence, Rakel is forced to serve under the prestigious Scent Keeper Sephine, a woman she blames for the death of her mother when she chose not to save her life. While Rakel worries about her ailing father, the palace becomes embroiled in a deadly scandal, the grounds have been set ablaze, Crown Prince Nisai has been poisoned and the only person who can cure the prince may have been the cause of his demise. When Rakel is found in the gardens with the Crown Prince's personal guard and an unconscious Crown Prince Nisai, she becomes a scapegoat. Together with personal guard Ash, Rakel is on the run to find a cure for the Prince and clear her name before it's too late.

The Darkest Bloom was a delightful surprise! Told in dual points of view from the perspective of Rakel and Ash, both with a vested interested in saving the life of the First Prince and heir to the Aramtesh Empire, Prince Nisai. I love narratives where strangers are thrown together for a common goal and although Rakel and Ash appear to be akin to chalk and cheese, they have more in common than first thought.

After a chance meeting on the streets of the capital, Ash was rescued by the First Prince who insisted on bringing the then young orphan to the palace in what was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Ash begun training as a Shield, a personal guard to Nisai while becoming his closest companion. Perhaps even a case of unrequited love as Ash hints at his bisexuality later in the narrative. Ash and Nisai share a secret that slowly unravels as Ash shares his story. Their secret only strengthens their bond as Nisai will do anything to protect his friend, Ash returning the sentiment in kind. Their bond was beautiful and although Nisai spends the majority of the narrative unconscious, we see how affectionate the two young men are through Ash's memories and point of view.

After Rakel is aided by a mysterious rescuer and upon fleeing the dungeons, Ash quickly tracks her down and with only a riddle from the Scent Keeper to go by, the two decide to venture to find a cure to wake the unconscious prince before time runs out. Along their journey, they must gather five ingredients from the vast corners of the empire, avoiding capture by the Rangers, captained by Nisai's half brother who is seeking justice for the poisoning of his sibling.

It was beautiful and so incredibly atmospheric. Using scent to guide readers throughout the narrative of adventure and a slow burning romance, reminiscent of the earlier Throne of Glass novels. Where The Darkest Bloom differentiates is that the narrative has a distinct feeling of sensuality. The romance is secondary to the storyline but I loved the intense attraction as Rakel and Ash learn more about one another. It ends n a cliffhanger that teases readers of what's to come in book two, I'm excited and can't wait! Captivating and beautifully written, enthralling and enchanting until the final page.