Title: State of Sorrow (Sorrow #1)
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Rating: ★★★★½

“Sorrow, for that is all she brings.”

I had never heard of State of Sorrow until it showed up in the FairyLoot box for March. I’m so thankful it was included, otherwise I might have missed out on this marvelous, magical story. 

The storytelling and worldbuilding were absolutely stunning. This is my first book by Melinda Salisbury, but it will not be my last. The story was full of breathtaking descriptions, dynamic characters, and political intrigue. Sorrow was a wonderful protagonist and I love that she doesn’t fall into the typical ‘strong, female heroine’ trope of other Young Adult Fantasies. She’s certainly not flawless, but she is clever and possesses a quieter type of strength. I love how willing she was to stand up for her people and how badly she wanted to end their suffering. In addition to a great heroine, there was also an outstanding cast of side characters, and I enjoyed each of their relationships and interactions with Sorrow. I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but there were definitely a couple of twists that I did not see coming.

I highly recommend State of Sorrow, especially for those who enjoying reading books with complex characters, descriptive settings, and intriguing storylines. I had such fun reading this and I’m really looking forward to the sequel!