2.5/5 stars 

I didn’t know when I picked up this book that its base concept came from Star Wars fanfic. That being said, it’s not reading like it which is fine with me. (My whole house loves Star Wars, except me. I have a complicated relationship with the fan base and misogynistic portrayal of women in the earlier works.) 

It got off to a nice start with some good action and demonstration of the magic system. I would have liked to understand more about the magic, even over 100 pages in. It’s focusing more on the relationships of the two main characters which is fine, but I like some fantasy with my enemies to lovers tropes. (I will also admit I’m fresh off the hurt from the Black Sun trilogy that started out so incredible with the magic system and then went…weird. So, this is causing some healthy side-eye from me right here.)

As I get a little further in, I’m feeling a strange inconsistency. One chapter will totally hook me and draw me in, the next I find myself spacing out as I’m reading it. And it’s not a specific pov or character that’s causing it. It jumps across all of them. I almost wonder if this would have benefited from a first person POV. Third person is causing me to feel removed from the story in a way that’s causing me to struggle with continuing. And please for the love of cake, explain the magic system! I don’t mind if you spend the first 100 pages bringing us into the world, building the magic system and politics. But if I’m 160 pages in and I don’t understand the magic OR the political bodies at play, then I’m going to stop caring what happens next. I’m sad to say this one is a DNF for me. What a bummer.