The Jewel and Her Lapidary (Jewel, #1)

by Fran Wilde

[Quirky Cat]

The Jewel and Her Lapidary is the first novella in a fascinating new series written by Fran Wilde. The series is known as Gemworld, and it lives up to that description – though maybe not in the way you might expect.
This novella follows Lin, the Jewel Princess, and Sima, her Lapidary. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking journey these two take, and one that is without a doubt worth reading. Together these two young women resist an opposition seeking to take over their kingdom. And along the way create a powerful story.
This was the first novella I’ve read by Fran Wilde, but I have to say; I’m sold. I loved everything about this, and then some. I’m so looking forward to seeing where this series goes in the long run. Because it’s clear to me that Fran Wilde isn’t done with this world (okay, the series title sort of gives that away).


Warnings: The Jewel and Her Lapidary is a beautiful story, but it also has some harsh notes inside. It covers imprisonment/kidnapping, torture, gore, and graphic descriptions of both death and bodies. So consider yourself warned.
The Jewel and Her Lapidary has to be one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking novellas I’ve read this year. I absolutely adored it, and everything about it. From the core concept to the character development, all the way to how these girls bravely handled their situation. It was perfection.
This Gemworld is so fascinating. At first it reminded me of this gem princess series I read when I was younger (I couldn’t for the life of me tell you the series name now though, so forgive me), but it quickly became apparent that there was so much more to this world than I originally thought. It was rich with culture, tradition, and character.
Speaking of the characters, while the world itself was interesting, the characters sold this series to me. Lin and Sima are amazingly written – two sides of the same coin. Both loyal to each other and to their kingdom. And both understanding the different roles they had to play, and why it needed to be done.
Their love for each other was a beautiful thing to witness. To have it surrounded by the reality of their situation just turned it into such an emotional telling. It was wonderfully done. And I can honestly tell you that I can’t wait to see the next novel in this amazing series. I’m so curious to see what Fran Wilde does next with it.


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