Between Time and Tedium: A Review of Mistress of Hours
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In Mistress of Hours, Emma Elizabeth introduces us to a world where magic is fading, and love is anything but simple. When Evienne, a powerful blood mage from Ichorna, crosses paths with Orion, a professor from the northern land of Beitar, sparks flyâbut not in the way you might expect. While the book promises an epic fantasy romance brimming with magic and danger, the story struggles to live up to its potential.
With an intriguing premise and a cast of characters whose chemistry never quite ignites, Mistress of Hours offers a tale thatâs fine to pass the time but not one youâll rush to return to. So, was this a must-read fantasy romance, or did it fall short of the magic we crave? Letâs dive into the hours youâll spend in this world and what workedâand what didnât.

Title: Mistress of Hours (Losian RĂšin Book 1)
Author: Emma Elizabeth
Genre: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance
Release:Â October 10, 2024
Pages:Â 267
Star Rating: 3 stars
Spice Rating: 2 chili peppers (4 scenes not incredibly graphic)
Time Well Spent? A Fairly Good Journey in Mistress of Hours
I must admit, Mistress of Hours has been sitting on my Kindle shelf for monthsâdamn near a year, in fact. Iâm not sure why it took me so long to get around to it, other than my ever-changing mood-reading habits.
Mistress of Hours (a debut by author Emma Elizabeth) offers a fantasy romance that promises magic, secrets, and forbidden love. Unfortunately, for me, it fell flat. From the start, I was bored. While the book isnât long by any means, its slow pacing had me slogging through most of it. The story spends more time telling you than showing you, especially in the beginning. Moments that couldâve packed a punch, like “paying him well for his services,” fell flat because we didnât see the value in the exchangeâsure, itâs a fantasy world, but make it sting! When the book tells us that Evienne is the strongest Sangieve Ichnora has ever seen, it never shows us what makes her so powerful. These points repeat throughout, and only later in the book do we finally get the experience weâve been craving.
And that repetition isnât just in the descriptionsâitâs in the narrative itself. Time and time again, the book circles back to the same ideas and phrases, as though the author is trying to convince us of something that the story itself doesnât quite back up. It’s almost as if the text expects you to absorb the same information from a new angle, but the lack of fresh insights made it feel redundant. At a certain point, the repetition of Evienneâs strength and Orionâs singular purpose didnât strengthen the storyâit only made me wonder why the book hadnât shown me more of these qualities instead of simply telling me about them.
“I am desperate to be connected with you, love, please let me feel you,” Orion answered in a rush.
The world-building leaves something to be desired. While there are occasional mentions of Ichorna and the surrounding lands, the excitement of these places couldâve been heightened if we had more time to explore them. Beyond mere hints, we donât really get to experience the grandeur or the depth of what these lands have to offer, which left me longing for more.
But where the book started to shine was in its lore. The concept of Comhanamâthe fated matesâwas one of the rare highlights. These soulmates are said to be the perfect match for each other, an unbelievably rare bond that only manifests once every hundred years. While the rest of the story felt bogged down by repetitive narrative, this twist injected a sense of real magic and excitement. Itâs the kind of detail that promises so much potential, and, for a moment, I was ready for more of this mysterious connection. It left me wishing the book had leaned into this more, exploring the weight and wonder of such a rare bond.
“Evienne, you feel so good; you’re taking me so well.”
The romance in Mistress of Hours was a surprise, especially in the context of its more unique aspects. This was my first experience with knotting, and while I canât say Iâm a full-blown fan just yet, I have to admit it piqued my curiosity. Something was intriguing about the way the relationship between Evienne and Orion unfolded, and the knotting element brought an interesting layer to their connection. It wasnât a romance that fully swept me off my feet, but it was enough to leave me wanting to explore this aspect of fantasy romance a bit further.
By the end, I found myself conflicted about Mistress of Hours. While the story followed a predictable path, there were small moments of unexpected joy that kept me going. These fleeting nuggets of happiness, though rare, managed to propel me forwardâmaking me wonder if, despite its shortcomings, there was something quietly compelling beneath the surface. It wasnât a book that fully captured my heart, but it had enough of those little sparks to keep me invested, even if just for a little while.
“Now, let’s eat something. It’s too early to stage a coup, so let’s start with some pastries, yes?”
So is Mistress of Hours something you should add to your Goodreads shelf and TBR? In the end, Mistress of Hours didnât quite meet my expectations, but it wasnât a total loss either. While I didnât feel the deep connection I hoped for in the romance, the unique aspectsâlike the knottingâcertainly sparked my curiosity. The world-building, though lacking in depth, hinted at something greater, and the bookâs slow pace eventually gave way to moments of intrigue.
As a debut from Emma Elizabeth, it shows promise, even if it didnât fully deliver. If youâre a fan of fantasy romance with a twist, it might be worth picking upâif only to see if it strikes a chord with you the way it didnât quite with me. The Losian rĂšin series is perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash or The Plated Prisoner. But you’ll have to read it for yourself. Grab a copy from Amazon or your local indie bookstore, the choice is yours.
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