I did not know anything about the legend of Xishi when starting this book. She’s this beautiful face, and her purpose is to be married off. Quickly, things were much darker than they seemed. Xishi is also much more than she looks.

I won’t shy away from the fact that this book was heartbreaking. It ripped my heart to shreds, and I was not expecting it. The writing was fabulous! It was so descriptive and beautiful. I was instantly in love with this story, and it was hard to put down. Xishi is trained to be a spy for the opposing king. She doesn’t expect to fall in love, but she finds more than that. I was so worried we were going to have a love triangle. It’s my least favorite trope, and we get a slight one. Xishi sees a side to her enemy that she doesn’t understand. Things are not so black and white. I loved how deep and complex all three of these characters are. It made for such an impactful story.

I want to take a minute and talk about the romance. The actual longing for one another in this book is so agonizingly beautiful. It was felt with every part of me! This is where her writing was just outstanding. The way that Xishi and Fanli love each other and pine for each other is beautiful. Again, I’m glad we didn’t get a full-on love triangle because it would have taken so much away from the longing.

This book does many things at once. Not only does it rip out your heart and stomp on it, there are many tones and themes. We get to see two sides of the enemy. There are many sides to a person. It makes us question who is on the right side. Are they fighting to become the same thing they were against? There is love, but there is also sacrifice.

Overall, this was a fantastic read! It’s a deep story that will make you question things. It’s full of beautiful writing and prose. I am happy to have buddy-read this one (thanks, Julie @OneBookMore) because we had some great discussions. It was also great to have someone commiserate with my heartbreak!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!