I really enjoyed this book. It is very high, high fantasy with tons of world building and lore built into it. Because of this, it really took me some time to get into and get through. But I think that makes it super unique. 

The worldbuilding itself is amazing although we mostly were introduced to Hiranprastha, Ahiranya, and Harsingshar. I hope in the future that we learn more about the other city-states that exist in this world. But the magic system is so complex and truly magical that at the beginning I hardly understood it. I really felt I didn't even understand the magic system until the end, which was very different from what I was used to. There's a ton of lore thrown at you at once. In general, I usually love world building and digest it well but this book actually confused me at times which I thought shows how amazing and intricate it is. 

I liked that a lot of the plot centered around Malini and Priya learning each other in the Hirana. The plot was a bit slow sometimes and I think the pacing bothered me slightly, but there was so much to learn in each chapter. Overall the plot did keep me intrigued despite the slow start. 

The characterization is AMAZING. We are still fully learning about Malini, Priya, and Bhumika. The author did an amazing job of delving into who they are and how they developed throughout the book. An amazing example of showing instead of telling. The only character I wish was developed more in some way was Rao. Malini and Priya's romance was so interesting. It is extremely slowburn and tends to come out of nowhere, but the author does a good job of hinting at it so you expect it. I really loved it. 

In general, this book perfectly sets up the next one in the trilogy. There are many unanswered questions and I am excited to see where it goes. Thankfully, there is no big cliffhanger.