The Loveliest Little Fantasy Novel

On my latest trip to Barnes & Noble, I happened upon this super cute looking book called Between the Water and the Woods by Simone Snaith. I picked it up because of the cover, and I bought it because of the synopsis and the claim that there were illustrations in this - and what lovely illustrations they turned out to be.

People are always raving about hardcore fantasy novels like The Poppy War and Game of Thrones (literally the only two examples coming to mind right now), but I have such a soft spot for these cute fantasy stories about magic and kings and knights. As soon as I began reading this, I knew I was going to love it. The heroine Emeline is adorable and yet fierce in her own way, and her family and friends are the cutest - I grew to love all of them. And honestly, the summary doesn't do justice to the wonderful love interest that is the "whip-wielding Lash Knight". The characters are on the road for a good portion of the story, and they spend the rest in a castle; I greatly enjoyed both portions. The chemistry between Emeline and Reese aka the Lash Knight is super soft and the story is a perfect blend of fantasy and science. There aren't enough standalone fantasy novels in this world, but at least this one exists, and it is a delight.

Reese and Emeline. Just one of several illustrations in the book that make me swoon.

And don't even get me started on the illustrations: they're gorgeous. It makes me glad I have a copy for myself so I can look at them whenever I want (I haven't done this, but it's possible in theory). As I've mentioned before, many times, I haven't been reading as much as I'd like, but on the bright side, not being obsessed with reading over-hyped books means I get to discover little gems like these - I highly recommend Between the Water and the Woods if you're looking for a lovely, standalone fantasy novel that will leave you feeling all cute and warm inside.