To Bleed a Crystal Bloom
By Sarah A. Parker
Book 1 of the Bloom Series
⭐ 3.5 Stars
“What I want, what I need, and what is right are three entirely different things.”
― Sarah A. Parker, To Bleed a Crystal Bloom
If Rapunzel were placed in a darker fantasy world… and the witch turned out to be the handsome man who raised you.
What if the tower wasn’t a prison built by someone else, but a cage of your own making?
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom introduces Orlaith, a seemingly ordinary girl raised in a castle by the High Master of the region, Rhordyn, and trained in combat by Baze.
The story focuses largely on Orlaith’s life within the castle walls. It explores her complicated relationships with Rhordyn and Baze, as well as her friendships with the few people she is allowed close to, while only briefly touching on the dangers and mysteries unfolding outside the castle.
This is a slow-paced book, one that clearly feels like it’s laying the groundwork for something larger in future instalments. There isn’t a huge climactic moment here. Instead, it reads more like Part 1 of a continuing story. Think of it like the first episode of a new TV series where you meet the characters, learn their dynamics, and sense that something much bigger is coming.
Despite the slower pace, I’m intrigued enough to continue the series. I’ll definitely be picking up book two to see what happens next for Orlaith and to find out whether the truth will prove more dangerous than the lie.