“Voices speak to me in the endless dark.” 

Vasalie Moran was once King Illian’s most prized possession, his Jewel. She was his favoured dancer and he bestowed tokens upon her, wanted her, even, though he never touched her. And she cared for him. That is, until he framed her for murder and shackled her in his dungeon. 

When she has grown so weak she can barely stand, he fetches her again to send her to The Gathering, the most elite performance where all of the nations rulers will be present. Her job is to secure a spot as a dancer (despite her healing body) and spy for him and do whatever tasks he requires of her. 

What she can’t figure out is: why her? Why now? Why has he never touched her? And why is he making her do the things he is?

“But though you’ve suffered your own fire, child, you won’t always smell of smoke.”

I was captivated from that very first sentence, and I never stoped being captivated. 

Vasalie is such an intriguing character, so contrary and real. She loves to dance, yet part of her hates it. And why? Not to mention she has a backstory that evolves so as to make you need to always know more. Her character development over the book is stunning, to say the least. 

“A story worth telling warrants a little destruction.”

The setting is impeccable. Glittering and beautiful, yet haunted and jaded. I was fully immersed in the rich tapestry of settings and dance descriptions. I will never forget Vasalie’s first performance at the Gathering and the images it evoked. 

“In order to work with a partner, you must have two things: trust and abandon.”

The politics and intrigue were a thing of beauty and horror. The subtle manipulations and overt machinations during a dance competition made this book absolutely un-put-downable. I didn’t see the twists coming and I wanted to know more, to know everything about the Crowns and the other important players. 

“I know darkness intimately. I know the bounds of it, the feel of it.”

The story was an anathema to itself. At all times a contradiction, as you may be able to tell from my review of it. The perfect blend of light and dark, beauty and revulsion, perfection and catastrophe. Because this book was dark and bleak, but it was hopeful. It was laugh out loud funny. It was my heart being absolutely overtaken by the characters. A smile on his face no matter the situation. A few unlikely heroes. 

I never expected to laugh so much while reading it, but I did. 

“I am sorry that my thighs offend you, Basile.”

This was a stunning story of betrayal and hope, defeat and perseverance. A story that will hold your attention the entire time and that you won’t be able to put down. 

“But before you throw in your stake, Miss Moran, think carefully. Get to know your opponents. You may find you like them better than you do your allies.”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.