Do these characters have plans? Errr, loosely. Sort of. There are consequences to their actions at least.

The world here has a fascinating take on nature magic and how karma ties into the ability to curse.

Wijesekara bring so many interesting topics to the fore in this book: persecution, pacifism, vengeance, ambition, honor. There is a whole host of characters touching on these topics too, and they don't bother being circumspect.

The characters (Shakti, Ashoka, the other Maurya siblings, the host of mayakari we meet) all have opinions, and our two main characters, Shakti and Ashoka, are driven and flawed. We don't have much dimension for the big bad character yet, but there were some hints dropped that there may be more to his story that will add some dimension to his character. This is the beginning of a promising story, but I am hoping for a deeper dive into what's at stake and a little more thought on consequences from the main characters in future books.