Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Steamy romance, great female hero excuse overstuffed story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In WISTERIA: BELLADONNA Blythe goes through with her marriage to Aris, otherwise known as Fate, in a bargain to save her father, Elijah. It's a union neither wants, made worse by magic rings they wear that prevent them from escaping each other at his estate, Wisteria Gardens. At first Aris makes Blythe's life miserable, giving her a slab of rock for a bed and no heat in winter, but she refuses to complain. She's otherwise occupied in the house, puzzling over strange spirit visitations and writing letters to her worried father. It's clear that Elijah sees through her happy prose when he insists on an impromptu visit. Uh-oh. Elijah was told that Aris is not only a prince, but the prince of a made-up land named Verena. Aris will need to weave all his Fate magic to impress his new father-in-law and keep up the lie. And he'll need to start treating Blythe like a princess instead of a thorn in his side.
Is It Any Good?
This delectable poison-themed series is bursting with fanciful magic, steamy romance, and a few too many chaotic supernatural twists. Well, perhaps it doesn't help that so many supernatural characters impact the story: Fate, Death, Life (or the memory of), and a nasty late-in-story surprise. The real heart of Wisteria is in the growing affection between Aris/Fate and Blythe. All else should build around this, and it does for a time. Real magic happens when the two create palaces and travel together after all their bickering and disdain for each other. But from there, the story weaves in too much, and too many questions pile up and need to be answered in the final third of the book. How do the wedding rings work? How do Blythe's new powers work? Who killed Blythe's cousin's mother? Who's breaking into Blythe's father's gentleman's club? Who's haunting Wisteria Gardens and why? It's a maze of a trek to the end that includes the added drama of "please don't tell this or that secret because it will break their hearts," but fans of the series will still be satisfied in the end. Why? Because who hasn't been rooting for the resilient, determined, and independent Blythe since they met her in Book 1?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Blythe's relationship with her father, Elijah, in Wisteria. How do they show empathy for each other? Have you read any other fantasy books with such a strong bond between father and daughter?
Aris and Blythe's marriage gets off to a rocky start. How does Blythe's curiosity about the world help mend their relationship? Is curiosity a trait you admire in others?
Which female hero in this series do you like better: Blythe or Signa? Which of the deities in this story would you like to be, Death, Fate, Life, or the immortal who has it in for Blythe?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : August 20, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
- Number of pages : 432
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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