First off, I would like to thank the publisher and author for providing me this ARC to review. Please note that the version I read was an advanced copy, and certain events/language may be changed in the published edition.

Stars (Out of 10): 8/10 Stars

Favorite Character: It flipped a lot, Zell at first, and Jax by the end

Spoiler Free: I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. I’ve been reading a lot of fantasy lately, and it seemed like this one might just fall into the category of fantasies that just begin to blend together after a point. While there were some things I didn’t really like in this book, it did still stand out to me for a few reasons.

Firstly, I am really intrigued by the magic system. At first, it just seemed as if the mages used rings to cast magic, but as the story grew on, we kept getting tidbits here and there on how complex the system actually was, and how limited it is as well. While we seem to have only scraped the surface of understanding the magic system, I am definitely intrigued by it!

Secondly, I really liked the characters. From the beginning I was a fan of Jax, of his humor and way of looking at the world, but I also loved Tilla’s complexity, her inner turmoil between wanting what she can’t have to just accepting her life as a bastard. We see similar conflicts occur in almost all the characters, with Zell battling tradition vs. what is right, and Lyriana’s conflict with her upbringing and a more free sense of living. In the end, all of these conflicts were interesting to read, and I don’t think we’ve seen their resolutions yet!

Additionally, the book had some pretty dark moments. It wasn’t a “dark” fantasy by any means, but there were quite a few shocking moments that really hammered in how messed up certain things about the world were. It gave the book an extra level of gravity, of realness.

Lastly, I thought the world was also quite interesting. It’s the general fantasy world of conquered kingdoms ruled by a single, strong king, with the standard unrest thrown in. However, the perspective we are given on said world is an interesting one, as we are not automatically aligned with one side due to the circumstances around the beginning of the book. This was one of the most unique parts of the book probably, and the inner and outer conflict this caused was super interesting to read!

On the other hand, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romances in the end. While they seemed to be heading down the slow burn path, and I was really into both of them, it ended up moving way too quickly at the end of the book, a trend I’ve been seeing more and more in YA fantasy. Just slow down sometimes guys! Romance doesn’t need to resolved in book 1!

All in all, I did really enjoy this though, and am excited to move on to book 2 now! There’s definitely a lot of ways this series can go!