4.5 stars

What a fun read!

This was just what I needed to distract me from the general… *gestures to the world at large*. A great fantasy adventure, filled with witty observations and comments, with effortless world-building and lovable characters? Sign me up!

Read this and more reviews on my blog!

There was so much to love here. The matriarchal society was (mostly) done well, with only one scene that struck me as particularly on-the-nose. The world hit familiar beats but with many imaginative twists that made it feel fresh. The conflicts between the characters were believable and relatable. And queerness abounds!

There were plenty of nice twists on familiar tropes, particularly the way deities and religion are depicted in fantasy worlds. I won’t spoil the ending but it’s not quite what you expect! And the very last scene set up the rest of the trilogy brilliantly, leaving me wanting more.

My only complaint is that I wish it were slightly longer! (Always a good complaint to have!) The conclusion felt a tad anticlimactic, and I think if we’d had longer to explore the world and set up the ending it might have felt more momentous.

All in all, a great read, and I can’t wait for the sequel!

I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.