Oh where do I even start with this one. This book sucked me in and hooked me. For starters I really enjoyed the characters. Tharon was complicated and her decisions were complicated. This was definitely a classic fantasy with all the political issues that come along with warring kingdoms, but we had the complications of shared history between those two kingdoms. I will say in the start I did not like Tharon, simply for the fact that she was so driven by violence and anger. We follow two timelines, one where Tharon and Roswynd are kids and the present timeline. Over time we learn more about both characters and what as made them the way they are in the present. In the present Tharon is driven by her anger and thirst for revenge. She is hard and cold, very different from the girl we meet in the past timeline.

Roswynd is equally changed by the ten years of war between the two families and losing her best friend. It was really interesting to see her have to navigate seeing Tharon again, when they are married, and be married to her former best friend. Watching the two of them navigate that situation was infuriating in the best way. I wanted to scream at them for not just talking to each other. I think it was nice that there were two timelines and we got some context on the relationship between Tharon and Roswynd. I personally enjoyed the present timeline better but that’s mostly because I was desperate to know what would happen next. I did, however, like seeing how the two grew and changed and how their relationship to each other changed. It helped in understanding the dynamic between them.

Okay, without spoilers I just have to mention the ending, because that cliffhanger! I mean… I’m dying to know what happens next! I honestly, didn’t expect the story to go that way. I had an idea that things would hit the fan, simply because the whole reason for their marriage and their motivations meant it was bound to happen, but I did not expect what would unfold and it made me nearly scream that I couldn’t just keep reading. Needless to say, I am going to be desperately waiting for part 2.