I want to start by saying that I don’t think this is a romantasy. This is a fantasy with romance, and there’s a big difference! I’ve been a long-time fantasy reader, and this fits more with a typical fantasy. The romance plays a smaller role in the story, rather than the main focus. There’s nothing wrong with that, I often prefer it with fantasy. But I’ve seen this book advertised everywhere as a romantasy, and that feels a bit misleading. This definitely leans more into darker fantasy themes too.

Now, onto the book. This was a highly anticipated release for me, and for many others. It’s been all over the place! I even got to attend Rachel Gillig’s meet-and-greet a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome getting to meet her, and learning more about her process with this book. Fun fact: the character she’s most like is the gargoyle! Speaking of the gargoyle… It’s hard not to fall in love with this grumpy little creature, with his funny comebacks. He calls everyone Bartholomew, and you just know there’s more going on beneath the surface. Gillig does a fantastic job creating characters with depth and complexity.

Sybil’s whole world is turned upside down when the King visits. Everything she’s ever known and believed is thrown into question. As she starts to uncover the truth, her world begins to unravel. Her journey is tough! She’s trying to hold on to her faith while everything around her crumbles. Then there’s Rory, who is confusing and rude. Honestly, the more I learned about each character, the more I just wanted to give them all a hug. This is not a happy story, and it gets pretty dark at times.

The romance? Fantastic. It grows naturally throughout the story and is full of angst! The banter between them was one of my favorite parts! You know I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope. The pacing was perfect. I had a hard time putting it down. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and needed to know what happened next. Of course, we’re left with a big cliffhanger. Now I really can’t wait for book two!

I know there’s a lot of hype surrounding this book right now, but I say, give it a chance. Just don’t go in expecting a romantasy, because that’s not what this is. It’s a great fantasy with romance, set in a unique world with some truly amazing characters. It was a bit predictable in places, which is why I knocked off half a star. But overall, this was a solid and fantastic read!

Thank you, Orbit, for the e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!