Thank you to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for an eARC.

PROGRESSIVELY BETTER.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM

This lived up to a lot of hope I had for a new series starter.

An amazingly well crafted story unveiled itself over 500 pages (where I hardly noticed it was that long to begin with). I loved the writing style and most of the pacing worked well too. There’s a good balance of learning moments, action, and even a bit of romance.

My one issue was the info dumping. It was scattered throughout, but noticeable when you hit it. There were MANY explanations of the magic system, history of the world and political dynamics. All fine and dandy but I think it could have been spread out more effectively.

I loved the complexity of the magic system and yin vs. yang. Good vs. evil. It added a morally grey level that I am always here for as characters struggled to decide what kind of power they wanted to wield. I love dynamic characters who struggle and learn and grow and those arcs are definitely starting here.

The romance was sweet! I wish there had been a bit more build to the relationship, but I see the potential for continued intricacies over the series. The dual POV’s between Lan and Zen worked great for keeping the story moving and understanding multiple angles to the story.

I enjoyed multiple reveals and found that the book only got better and better. I can’t wait for the next one!!

Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy + Romance
- Language: a little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: mass loss of life, loss of parents, battle themes, torture, possession, assault