5/5

A truly epic, complex and engrossing fantasy. Wyrms return to the world, causing upheaval in the lives of the four main protagonists. 

- The characters followed in this book are truly wonderful. We get to follow a royal princess, a bereaved mother, a godsinger who has only lived on a mountain and a foundling mentored by a king. Each of these characters made me feel so much and I grew to love them all in their own ways.

- This world is truly epic and well built. Each facet has its own nuance, beliefs, culture and so much more. The lands are alive and it feels like Shannon spent a long time making it just right.

- A slightly specific point but as a midwife myself I applaud Shannon for how well the pregnancy and birth scenes of this book are done. Often in fiction these things are poorly done but I came away from those feeling like everything that happened was accurate and likely.

- If you've read The Priory of the Orange Tree and just happened to wonder, then yes, this is gay. Enjoy.

One of the best epic fantasy books I've read. I hope Shannon obliges us with further books set in this world.