I received a review copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It is amazing, and better yet, has an open ending, so it works as a standalone.

This reminded me of the Girshaverse in a very good way. It had the same feel and a lot of elements that I loved in those stories and I enjoyed seeing them redone and reimagined in here.

The world was immersive and interesting. It felt real. I loved all the different perspectives and characters as well as the magic system. Even though it was a soft magic system, it was used well and I found it unique. All the characters were distinct and individual. They had different voices, motivations, and goals. It was great seeing them all come together for the end. It was spectacular.

I also enjoyed many of the concepts in this book from the Fight Pits to the King's Children. It made the role feel so rich and well-developed. It also helped with making the character feel unique and original, as they were all on different sides with similar goals.

I found the foreshadowing was carried out very well too. There was enough that I could guess what might happen, but I never felt like anything was hitting me over the head with obviousness and it made some of the twists very fun to read as even though I was clued in, iI still felt as shocked as the protagonist as she realized what was happening. That hasn't happened in a long while and it was amazing.

The romance was not all-consuming. It was there, in the shadows, but it stayed there and let the politics, magic, and rebellion shine. And they shone brightly for it.

This book had the right levels of everything. The recipe for the perfect fantasy novel. And it was executed perfectly.

I honestly can't do much more than gush over this because I loved it so much and I highly recommend anyone who reads this review to pick it up.