My very first ARC is complete! Thank you DE Carlson for letting me read this book in advance of the general populace. This dual perspective between Iris and Besaun leads us into the battle of Good vs Evil, and the battle of personal choices regarding the lives and fates they have been given.

As a non-Christian, who was brought up in a Christian household, the themes from the Bible are present but subtle in most of the book. I only experienced discomfort in one chapter where I felt the Christian undertones were no longer undertones like the rest of the book. After reading the Rite of Communion chapter, it took me a couple days to get back into the book. Thankfully from my perspective, the Christian themes became undertones once again and the overall plot picked up.

Since I read Casandra’s Dragon novella prior to this book, I almost wish this book had three perspectives because there were times where I wished we could get some of Casandra’s POV in the Fire Palace and her choices around the espionage she is involved in.

The storyline is heavily character driven and there is considerable world building in this book, which is to be expected as it is the first book of a multi-book series. The characters all experience challenges with their choices and the meta cognition of the main characters is present throughout their perspectives.

The author expressed that this book would be low on smut but that doesn’t mean that the sexual tension is missing. The characters explore their intimate relationships in a PG fashion with cuddles and kissing being the farthest the characters explore their feelings towards their love interests.

I would definitely read the next book once it is released or if I’m lucky enough to read the ARC because my lack of comfort around the single plot point of the Rite of Communion does not mean that the plot or book(s) will be dripping with direct references to the Christian Bible.