CW: gore, violence, self-harm (for blood magic), childbirth

It’s currently 12:30 in the morning and I’m very glad it’s spring break, because I really wanted to finish this before going to bed.

It was worth it.

I loved Audrey’s debut, Of Fire and Stars, and while I didn’t love this book quite as much, it was still very enjoyable. The pacing was slow and uneven at times, and I do think this could’ve been around fifty pages shorter, but otherwise I had no issues. I thought the story was very unique, and I loved the characters, protagonists and antagonists alike.

I liked that she chose to write this in the OFAS world, because it allowed me some familiarity going in while still exploring somewhere new. You can read this without reading OFAS, as it takes place a century or two earlier (if I remember correctly); however, you should still read OFAS.

Anyway, I just really liked this book. The magic system was intricate and interesting, and the slow-burn romance gave me a lot of emotions. Also, there’s a dragon. She’s kind of evil and not the *main* focus, but whatever. I haven’t read enough YA fantasies with dragons, so this was fun.

It’s also more diverse than I originally realized. The protagonist Asra is bisexual as is the antagonist Ina, and Asra ends up in a m/f relationship. I’m not bisexual, but I’ve seen many a thread on how ending up with someone of the opposite gender doesn’t invalidate the sexuality you identify as, and I think this book represented that well.

There’s also genderfluid rep; some of the gods are referred to as they/them. The love interest, his sister, and some other characters are black. I can’t speak on any of this rep, as I don’t fit either of these identities.

This ended up being longer than I intended and I’m tired, so I’ll end it here. Just know that this was very good, and if you’re looking for underrated and/or unique fantasy, I highly recommend Audrey’s books.