I greatly enjoyed the book. The premise is great, the characters and worldbuilding well crafted, and I come away from it invested in the story. I’ve already ordered the rest of the series, as well. The last third of the book or so, however, just felt rushed. 

I got through most of this book expecting it to be a five star read. And it comes really close. But then towards the end, the MMC seemingly chooses to forget what he knows about the FMC and condemn her for not telling him about it (which she did). Honestly, that little bit knocks it down in of itself. It also feels like time skips forward quite a lot, and not in a way that makes it feel justified. Suddenly a line will say it’s three months later. Having even a couple of extra sentences to say what happened in the intervening time would have made those moments feel more real, and less like a glossing over due to deadline constraints. 

I hope the next book continues to draw me in, because I’m desperate to know more about the surrounding lands and the world itself. And I hope (/know) that the MMC gets his head on straight, because his sense of betrayal felt entirely unjustified, even if he was angry due to the situation. 
🌶️🌶️