I’m up way too early, brain full of all the things I need to remember to pack before I leave for Poland tomorrow, but I wrote this poem and book review a week ago, and wanted to post them before they get forgotten.
Since joining Steem in January I’ve hardly read any books, but I picked up Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare and tore through it. Being urban fantasy with a twisted love story, it’s right up my alley. It's mainstream, commercial fiction, by an extremely successful author.
As a writer myself, I enjoyed observing Clare's craft while being pulled into the Shadowhunter world. I was moved enough by the story to pen a poem...
Forbidden Love
Forbidden love, perilous,
The stakes impossibly high,
A desperate lover tries to kill
Something born to fly.
How do you stop a heart from loving?
Tell it lies and watch it shrink,
Feed it broken promises,
Drown hope, feel it sink.
How do you stop a mind from thinking,
Obsessing with its desire?
Replace it with another task.
Doubt and distraction douse the fire.
Sharp betrayal, tattered trust,
How much can a person take?
The soul begins to twist and tear,
The spirit strains and breaks.
But what if, after all that hurt,
Love refuses to die?
Take the risk, give it wings,
Dare to let it fly.
Original poetry by Katrina Ariel
Book Review – Lady Midnight, by Cassandra Clare
This book pulled me in, played with my heart, made me care deeply about the characters, and left me wanting to read the next book in the series with a last minute plot twist. The author did a fabulous job weaving a complex story full of secrets and mystery.
One of the main conflicts is a forbidden love (thus the inspiration for the poem above) between two characters who belong to each other. I want them together, but loved the way the came together in the book but then were forced apart by the cruelty of a curse. The choice one of them makes at the end of the book is intriguing. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Forbidden love is a classic theme, and such a powerful thing. Love can drive people to do wonderful and terrible things. There is nothing more beautiful and tragic than requited love that is doomed by dogma or law, or the tangled mess life can create.
I’d recommend this book (or the series in general) to anyone who enjoys young adult urban fantasy with strong romantic undertones and a lot of action.
Okay, back to packing my bags! To those of you going to Steemfest3, I’ll see you soon!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog. What book are you reading right now?
Whatever happens, keep singing your song!
Photos mine unless otherwise credited.
Author bio: Katrina Ariel is an old-soul rebel, musician, tree-hugging yogini, and mama bear to twins. Author of Yoga for Dragon Riders (non-fiction) and Wild Horse Heart (romance), she's another free-spirit swimming in the ocean of Steem.
dragon art: Liiga Smilshkalne
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