This was a fairly quick read, which I often gravitate to between bulkier reads. The cover is beautiful and was what initially drew me in to read the summary, and then I was hooked into buying it. ALSO!!! There’s a pronunciation guide! One of my favorite telltale signs that I’ll like a book. (second only to a nice map in the front pages). In all honesty, the first few chapters had me wondering if I should stop reading. There was a lot of unneeded repetition, but BOY AM I GLAD I KEPT ON! The writing jumped right into the plot, and Leake gave us an independent female heroine and a love story that was a breath of fresh air compared to other enemies to lovers arcs I’ve read. Her heroine doesn’t lose her independence during her journey or when she falls in love. She stays true to her character. We get to see the two main characters as partners! One may even say equals. Wow. Love that. This is a story I’d love my teenaged sister to read for that reason alone. Even more importantly, Leake gave us a beautiful story arc. I loved the use of mythology and religion to drive the plot. The culture and history behind the story had to be my absolute favorite part of the writing. I would definitely read again and would be happy to give this book a spot in my own bookshelves.