Saara El-Arifi is back with the first book in a brand-new fantasy trilogy in a whole new style than seen before in her Ending Fire trilogy. All I can say is this woman has RANGE. This book, however, did not captivate me the way El-Arifi’s writing normally does. Perhaps I rushed through the audiobook, or perhaps it’s just another case of a more romance-heavy fantasy storyline that made me glaze over throughout the book, but I’m not the target audience for this book. Let me succinctly break down what I liked and what I didn’t like about it (so that it can absolutely find its target audience of readers who will love it!):

I loved:
• the queer-normative world and sapphic longing/pining
• the BIPOC characters and the inspiration taken from Middle Eastern and African cultures
• El-Arifi’s writing style!!! She has such a unique voice that feels poetic and flowery without overwhelming the reader
• the prophecies and the PLOT TWISTS! (The epilogue had me SCREAMING!)
• vivid character and setting descriptions
• the animal companions
• the magic system!
• the extras included in the physical copy! The map and endnotes really enhanced my understanding of the world

What didn’t work for me:
• heavy-handed romance and some insta-love scenarios - this took away from the world- and non-romantic relationship-building for me, so the universe felt a little flat
• I loved the political intrigue we got in the book, but I wish there would’ve been MORE! I find this is a staple in high fantasy, so I think my expectations were just a little off based on El-Arifi’s other works
• I felt there was a lack of cultural exploration - it felt like Lettle and Yeeran were so invested in the faerie court that we learned very little about their elven culture and heritage
• in general, I’m not drawn to stories about fae and faeries, so I wasn’t as invested in the lore/mythology surrounding the universe

All in all, this is a really good book! I enjoyed reading it enough that I plan to continue on with the series, though it won’t be a personal top favorite of mine. If you love elves, faeries, adorable animal companions, romance, and fantasy - this book is perfect for you!