With the upcoming release of the second book in this duology (April 2024!), I knew I needed to get my act together and finally pick this one up! I’ve tried to read it twice before as an audiobook before I realized I needed a physical copy of this book to fully immerse myself. And boy, did I!

We’re immediately thrown into our main character’s, Zephyr, world as a strategist for Xin Ren (the underdog warlordess fighting for her rightful throne) against the tyrant regent, Miasma. Few strategists have the guts to take on someone as cunning and bloodthirsty, but Zephyr takes it upon herself to attempt and secure the throne for Ren. We meet Ren’s swornsisters, Cloud and Lotus, who are dedicated to her cause, and Zephyr may have met her match when her path crosses with Miasma’s strategist, Crow. Strategic plots, alliances, betrayals, and battles galore – there are twists and turns readers won’t expect in the first half of this book. The second half travels at a breakneck pace and leaves readers on a cliffhanger, desperately eager for more!

He has done a fantastic job reimagining the Chinese classic (Three Kingdoms) from the 14th century and making it exciting in the 21st century! This book is full of characters we love to hate (morally grey!!), underdogs, magic unlocked by zither playing (gorgeous descriptions in these scenes), and quests to fight against the threads of fate and will of the gods. I can’t forget to add that the e-book and physical copies include character designs, stunning maps, and detailed endnotes about her research on the original text and characters.