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To Bleed a Crystal Bloom

Crystal Bloom, Book 1

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About this listen

"What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower."

Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else.

Small. Fragile. An enigma.

Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds.

Stay within. Never leave.

Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe...though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily. Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable.

My savior. My protector.

My almost executioner.

I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground. When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself.

No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.

To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst.

©2022 Sarah A. Parker (P)2022 Podium Audio Dragons & Mythical Creatures Fantasy Romance Fiction Mythology Paranormal
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I warmed to this story slowly- it’s such a tangled web of secrets, shielding, fantastic creatures and forbidden desires. Once the truths began to emerge, i was enraptured. The twists and battles of will & simmering attraction & sensual appetites kept me listening and compelled me to listen to the sequel ASAP

Looking for a dark, obsessive love dynamic? Read this!

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There are a few things you may have to overcome to make it through this book. I made it. Was it worth it? I’m not sure. The first half of the book is very unfocused. However, I was cleaning while I listened to this so made it to the end, which does pick up quite a bit and has suckered me into Book two. More details: The first trope to get over is AGE DIFFERENCE: there is a very weird and sexually charged relationship between the protagonist and her guardian, who has cared for her since she was TWO YEARS OLD. (She’s now 21 so at the LEAST he’s in his 40s). The author seems to be attempting to take the curse of this by claiming he hasn’t really been around, but still. Ick factor. The second trope to overcome is LACK OF COMMUNICATION: these two will talk about jealousy/lust/each other’s smell, usually while pressing each other against walls, but not much else. The third obstacle is that the first half of the book feels purposeless, there’s no mission, no drive, just people doing…stuff. There’s clearly a rich history to WHY these two have been thrown together, but good luck finding out anything about that in this book. There are bits and pieces of other POVs that go nowhere. Characters introduced who have no impact. It’s all very WHAT’S YOUR POINT? Honestly, I thought I’d be returning it, but then it kind of saves itself in the last third. The narration is very good.

MESSY - but excellent narration

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The story itself is good and I enjoyed the world building and visual imagery. I absolutely couldn’t get on board with the way the female actor read though. The cadence was all wrong and I just really disliked a character I’d probably have liked on paper, she was really annoying!

I can’t get on board with the female narrators voice.

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This entire book is about a girl lusting after her father figure. I felt uncomfortable almost the entire book, but I don't have the strength to dnf. I will read in the hopes that the other potential love interest rebuilds my trust in the author. The overarching plot seems interesting, but it gets distracted by the romance. Crossing my fingers book 2 gets better.

Weird romance

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I found this book annoying. Nothing really happened for a long time… apart from lots of lusting from the MFC. I desperately wanted to like this as much as I did When the Moon Hatched, I didn’t. Saying that it did pick up at the end and has hooked me enough (just) to read book 2!

Frustrating

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