I think this is the final nail in the coffin in that I am not a fan of Tricia's writing style. It just takes me forever to sort through it, and I never seem to build any connections with the characters.
Rasmira is going through a lot throughout this story and in her life. Her village and others around them are governed by this malevolent god who takes whatever he wants whether thats through crops, minerals, or women, and people are filled with fear. Rasmira stumbles upon this and is forever scarred by what she witnesses.
Then in the test of her life, Rasmira is betrayed and cheated out of her title as heir. She is banished into the wilderness, which is basically a death sentence, and it's her initial experiences that really lead the reader to truly be set against the villagers old ways. You feel for Rasmira because the system was messed with and ultimately ruined her life.
The story then follows her journey in the wild, trying to win back her honor. Along the way she meets her love interest and a good friend, and they all call into play what this honor system really means. Why were they banished? What did they really do wrong? They all have an interesting dynamic, but the friend of the love interest was ultimately my favorite.
The romance for Rasmira I don't think needed to be there because it felt forced and unnatural. Instantaneous, to be honest. I'm incredibly picky with romances, which I always seem to state in reviews haha, but this one annoyed me to no end. Rasmira has major trust issues. I understand that completely, but at times her struggles just didn't seem real. They felt stretched out to new lengths that should never have been made. You know when you just can’t agree with how a character acts? That was me. I know she was healing, but eventually, she was just being distrustful for the plot, not for her.
The story ultimately was predictable, and while the strong female message is great, it didn't feel as impactful as most. It was just there to be there, in my opinion.
I'd skip out on this book if I were you. My journey to find a great viking/ Norse influenced book continues.
Thank you to Macmillan for sending me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.