Coming of age grows into coming of rage as an exiled and imprisoned princess is let out of her tower after nearly a decade only to exchange the prison she knew for the unknown and unwanted prison that is a forced engagement to a warlord. 

If you took the song “Look What You Made Me Do” and gave it a tavern song arrangement, then I think that would be the end credits song on a movie made from this book. Part of what makes this book a great read is how Vita’s (our protagonist) personality grows and character develops throughout the book, from the truly naive and sheltered girl who’d been isolated and hated for so long to a cunning and considerate woman who knows when to stand tall and when to bend in order to turn tides and get what she needs. By the time the climatic scenes toward the end of the book hit, she’s a glorious creature of rage and power. 

Likewise, this book has a fantastic supporting cast that really keeps this book character-focused, which I enjoyed. This book isn’t heavy on world building and while the plot does involve alchemy it doesn’t go too heavily into it, either. The emphasis is truly on the characters and it’s nice to get that in a fantasy novel and have the characters be so nuanced. There’s a lot of gray morality in the supporting characters and that helps take the shine off of Vita so we don’t always see her as some sort of savior in an ivory tower. 

This was an engaging read with a lot of great action scenes and I really enjoyed it. 4⭐️

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Adult Fantasy/Coming of Age/Fantasy/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Fantasy/Political Fantasy/Sapphic Romance/Standalone