I received a free copy of this book from the author/publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A woman who can see the future, and one who loves money and power. Plus, a prince with a kind heart but weak impulses and a knight full of bravery but very impulsive. In Angland, some characters fight a war against the neighboring kingdom while further in the kingdom, an industrial rebellion sparks fears among the noblemen and women, as well as business owners. A high fantasy full of war, civil unrest, a bit of magic and a lot of laughter and humanity as well.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I loved getting to know all the characters bit by bit, and really feeling who they were - and still being surprised or disappointed when they did certain things or expressed various views on things. The flashing back and forth between the war being played out against the Northmen and the civil unrest among the used and abused factory workers was done really well, and never left me feeling like I wanted more or less on either side. Rikke was a refreshing slice of air next to the rigidness of Savine, and the expectations set against Orso and Leo. Things I'd rooted for throughout the book suddenly flipped in the last couple of chapters and I found myself egging on other characters. There are characters who are fairly evil in this book - in the way those in power feel they need to be, and do what they can to get answers - and there's others who are good but seem to be hidden behind so many other things.

Orso was such a surprise for me. When we first met him, I definitely thought he was either going to be a Joffrey or a bit of a damp squid. He turned out to be, however, an ultimate soft boi that I could crush on and root for all at the same time. He's not someone who will win wars with his swords but by the alarming sense of tact and diplomacy he showed. Whereas Leo ended up, while being the hero, disappointing in many ways - from the weird relationship with his mother to his low-key racism (which was excellently done by Abercrombie. He's someone on paper whose fairly perfect and then he makes a few side comments that make you feel uncomfortable and you need to reread to make sure ).

Savine was disappointing for me too but in a good way - I want her to rise from the ashes she;s found herself in, and I think she will and I'm very intrigued to see what way she could go. She's a character who could be a true heroine or a very terrible villain.

There were subtle hints of magic in this book, as well as premonitions but I think the actual magic will probably happen in future books.

This book ended at such a PERFECT moment too to really make the reader want the next book NOW. I'm so excited for the sequel to come out.