I tried several times to get into this to review but couldn't get past the 20% mark. I think it was me as I hadn't read The Heart of the Kingdom which may have unlocked some of my problems. I just liked the blurb and thought to dive in.

I may return to this and adjust my rating on Goodreads but for now, it didn't connect.

Sasha L. Miller has an engaging and direct writing style that I find very enjoyable to read, and the prose in The Northern Heart generally carries the story well. One of my favourite aspects was how the narrative switched perspectives back and forth between Emmerich and Pearce — this allowed a good view of both characters, especially regarding their thoughts and feelings about their current situations. This also made the miscommunication subplot more understandable too.

The concept and execution of the plot itself was extremely good, but the pacing throughout was somewhat erratic; certain events were dragged out and felt frustrating. The build up had potential, and the plot moved at a better pace in the last quarter, but then resolutions towards the end felt slightly rushed.

The main and supporting cast, and their characterizations, were excellent. While Emmerich and Pearce's tension was not exactly fun to read about, the interactions between them and with others on the whole were solid. I'm so glad that this book is part of a series and more will be seen of them, as I wanted to know a lot more about the main two and many of their side characters and their respective connections.

There was also more I wanted from the world-building: it felt promising but mostly a backdrop to the main events of the story. However, as this is part of a series I am sure there will be more to come and am eager to read more about it and the characters within it.

I was intrigued by the worldbuilding, and would like to read more. But I felt like I was lacking backstory for the relationship, and the main storyline felt unresolved when I reached the end of the book.

After Emmerich saved the royal family in the prequel, he's been afflicted with a strange sort of curse. He can't access his magic and he randomly goes into a trance. To figure out what's wrong with him, Emmerich is sent to the northern wall with Pearce, a man tasked with helping to heal the broken wall and whatever has been broken inside Emmerich. Yet, the magic at play is much more involved than a simple curse, so saving Emmerich and the country might not be possible.

This should have been a four star review. Everything about this book was wonderful. The characterizations were dynamic and interesting with each person having a unique personality. I also really liked the world building where magic and different cultures meld seamlessly, or not so seamlessly as the case with the elves has turned out to be. The plot was also well written, with interesting twists and turns I didn't see coming. All of that was more than sufficient for this book to absolutely deserve all four stars, however there were two serious issues I had to dock a star for.

The first was the lack of description. I looked closely and not once did I see a single description of Emmerich or Pearce. What colors are their eyes or their hair, or what shape are their noses? I understand that they were most likely described in the prequel, but just because this is a continuous series doesn't mean readers don't need the reminder. I purposefully reread Heart of the Kingdom, the prequel, in preparation for The Northern Heart, but even with only a few days between reading I couldn't remember what Pearce looked like at all. Certainly there doesn't have to be as much detail provided if there is a lot of description about a character's looks in a previous book, but there absolutely has to be something and The Northern Heart didn't have it.

Second, the ending was so abrupt that I found myself flipping back and forward on the last pages of my ebook to double check that I hadn't missed something. As I was reading I was getting all hyped up for a big battle as the final climax to the story, and then it ends. I don't doubt there will be a sequel at some point, but this wasn't a cliffhanger. Had it been, I might have been willing to wait for the next book to see what happens, but now I'm not even certain whether the next book will have the missing battle. At the very least, The Northern Heart needed an epilogue of some sort to tie the ends together.

The Northern Heart by Sasha L. Miller is a fantastical tale of love, magic, and mystery.

Emmerich is in trouble. Not only is he suffering from unexplained trances that threaten his life, he also must tolerate being under the protection of the prince, a man Emmerich cares for deeply but is unable to have.

Pearce is doing everything he can to protect Emmerich from coming to harm. He searching for a spell and potion anything to save the man he loves from whatever ails him. So far nothing has proven successful, but he won't stop until he finds what will.