If you're a fan of a vast fantasy world, morally grey characters and tropes such as enemies-to-lovers and arranged marriage, then you might want to pick up Benyu Born of Ash, the first installement of The Ischyró Chronicles as it got it all!

The story follows the protagonist Roan, who's been an outsider due to her Elemental magic and dreams of death. She tries to keep to the shadows, but when her village is being invaded by the enemies, the Woodlanders, Roan does everything she can to protect her people. And that includes signing herself off to a blood bargain which reveals to bind her to the Woodlander's general Galin, who might not be the enemy Roan believes him to be. From there on, Roan finds herself on a path, trying to unravel the truth behind everything - her magic, how to save her people, her heritage.

The worldbuilding of this book is really impressive, and I have to admit it took me a while to grasp the whole concept. But I enjoyed how bits and pieces were revealed along and we were able to find out things as Roan did. Generally, Roan is a pleasant character to follow around. Despite her impulsive choices, she is a determined character who tries her best to save everyone around her while figuring out who and what she is. I really enjoyed how we were able to see everything through her perspectives, and how much her bonds with other characters played a big role in this. The relationships and bonds she had with her father, siblings, and especially Galin were probably my favorite aspects of this story. If you're a fan of a great slow-burn romance, then you should definitely try getting tortured by the tension between Roan and Galin. Often I found myself yelling at them, and I really enjoyed the scenes between them!

Overall, this is a great first installement that introduces us to a vast world, interesting characters to which is more than we can see, and opens up new questions and paths that make me very excited for the sequel!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.