“You are not weak. There is steel within you.“
*
Wow, I adored this! I’m not sure if it’s because I went in with no expectations, but this was a really special book. There’s the five-star reads that I just completely blow through in hours, but there’s also the slow five-star reads that I can really savor, like this one.

The relationships in this book was what really captured my emotions. First and foremost, the sisterhood between Evadne and Halcyon was so touching and was definitely the strongest throughout. But there was also the relationship between the girls and their parents, which were both equally heartwarming. The romantic relationship between Evadne and Damon was so so sweet. Finally, Halcyon’s comradeship with her legion and especially the Commander was absolutely gutting. The emotional ties between characters had me tearing up multiple times and by the end I was a crying mess.

I enjoyed the plot of this as well. It was entertaining but I also didn’t feel like I had to rush through it. I enjoyed the plot twists that are sprinkled throughout, and I thought the worldbuilding with the relics was fascinating. The way magic worked was really cool, I especially liked how the finger a mage’s ring was on denoted their magical strength. I thought the ending was fantastic and emotional and perfectly fitting for the book. Super super happy with this one!