It was so much fun to be back in Solaris, following the adventures of Alderik and Vhalla's daughter, Vi. If you've read the original Air Awakens quintet, then you'll find Vi's name is interesting enough to immediately draw you into this journey.

Now, don't be disappointed that Alderik and Vhalla only make an appearance through off-the-page letters. That doesn't make this borning. Firstly, Jax is still a presence in this book, keeping a solid and tangible connection to the characters we have come to love.

Vi is her own person though. She didn't grow up in the South like her father, the emperor, nor in the East, like her mother the Empress. She's never been to either of those places. She looks the spitting image of her Western grandmother, but she's never been there either. Vi has spent all of her seventeen years as a ward of the North, as a part of a peace treaty forged before she was ever born. She was supposed to be returned home to groomed as the next Empress three years ago, but something is wrong and no one has come to claim her and her back to the capital. Vi thinks it's because she still hasn't awakened her magical ability as a firebearer. She can't control her magic. So not only is she seen as some Northern savage, but she's also an inept sorceress. Who would want her for a ruler when the people already love her twin brother, born just a few minutes too late for the crown?

But one day Vi's abilities do awaken and they are not exactly what she or anyone expected. With the awakening comes an unexplainable mental connection to a strange man a continent away, a man named Taavin, who calls himself The Voice.

With Taavin's help, Vi begins to get a grip on her magic, but she's no closer to understanding why she has this kind of magic or knowing exactly what she's supposed to do with it. Unfortunately, the fate of the world and the ability to reconnect with her family, might just depend on the answers to those questions.

You'll love the new characters. Vi is strong and stubborn to a fault. She is dedicated and determined and a good mix of her father, her mother, and just herself. Taavin is a mysterious cinnamon roll who probably needs a good hug. But he's also got some major secrets we're just beginning to hint at. Jax is precious as always and I'm not so patiently waiting for his happily ever after.