For context, the first book in this series frustrated me a lot with many of its aspects, and the second book was an outright disappointment. So I was rather uncertain whether I wanted to read this one at all, but the worldbuilding and the big overarching political plots compelled me. Happily, this time I more or less enjoyed myself!

It was interesting to learn more about the setting, especially since we finally get a trans MC here and a lot of the things about the way trans people are seen/treated get spelled out more clearly. And it's such a refreshing approach. Basically, everyone is just taken at their word when it comes to their gender. A child figures themself out and tells people whether they're a boy or a girl (or, I assume, whether they're neither, though I would appreciate it if it was made clearer how nonbinary people fare), and that's it, that's who they are in the eyes of literally everybody. You can't ever assume anyone's gender based on their body and their relationship with it and whether they give birth to children etc—cis is not the default at all. 

That said, as much as I like the approach, I did feel that the actual romance was kind of... cis-coded? The romance leads here spend a large part of the story physically separated, and Kamir, a trans man, largely has to deal with plot threads like "doting on his kids and making sure he can continue being a good caretaker," "evading an abusive ex-husband," "dealing with abusive parents who insists he gets married to someone they approve of for the sake of the family," "dealing with a surprise pregnancy," and "taking care of the other MC's estate/household." All the while Jader, who's cis, is away adventuring, exploring, and solving political conundrums. On one hand, this does feel natural enough for the word that just doesn't have gender norms the way ours does, but on the other hand, Idk, I would just appreciate it if, taken out of context of the setting, it didn't make it seem like Kamir's being indulged by being called by the right pronouns but otherwise plays a traditionally feminine role to the fullest.

Outside of that, I actually liked the development of the relationship via letters and how slow-burn it feels despite the characters getting intimate early in the plot. I also loved how Kamir's kids are such a big part of his life and how Jader makes sure to interact with them. In the first book of the series, Sarrica was supposed to be this doting farther who judged Allen, among other things, on his ability to be good for his children, but that was something we were told and never shown. Here, parenthood is definitely a big theme. 

I also enjoyed the foray into other cultures through Jader, and generally was intrigued all the while with his overall situation. He was raised as an Islander, then ended up making a career at the High King's court, which already has him stuck in the juxtaposition of two different societies, and then he is accidentally found by his birth family who belong to a whole third country with a whole different set of norms. All of that made for a lot of interesting developments and gave him a unique perspective. 

Things that frustrated me: where the previous book was too rushed, this one moves incredibly slow and has about ten infodumps too many. Though on the other hand, this increased page count does let us delve deeper into the main characters, exploring their personalities, hobbies, and aspirations. Also, if I never had to meet Sarrica again (impossible, I know, he's the king after all), it would be too soon. I also didn't really appreciate the type of political masterminding Allen now gets up to. And I didn't really like how the bad guys are just out there being bad with no real justification beyond "that's how they are." Though a baddie from the first book shows up briefly to reveal hidden depth, so who knows, maybe there'll be more reveals through the overarching plot further down the line?