Ahoy there me mateys!  This book was the second book on me list from SPFBO #5 in 2019.  I recently read the book from that year that sounded the coolest and it freakin' rocked (and won).  This placed second in the contest and also sounded like the book for me.  Sadly I only made it to 36% before abandoning ship.

This book seemed to have all the elements that I love - a woman who dresses like a man, is snarky and intelligent, has a magical arm, used to be rich before a downfall, became a mercenary for survival, and is out for revenge.  Sounds cool right?

The book started out with promise.  The scarred and battered Kyrra d’Aliente we meet at the beginning seemed like a kinda gal I could grow to love.  I wasn't so enthused with her not so great secret plan but I was trying to keep an open mind.  Unfortunately the book quickly changes time frames and takes us back to Kyrra's life before her fall from grace.

I did not like stupid, younger Kyrra.  She has a great life but is a bubble head who whines and causes trouble because she is bored.  The choice she makes that causes her disgrace was just SO dumb.  Kyrra was set up to be this smart girl who acts the fool.  And I couldn't stand her.  The only thing that earned some grudging respect was how she dealt with her lowly position afterwards and how she could be blunt and outspoken at times.

I kept reading for Arsenault, the man who comes into her life and begins helping her for mysterious reasons.  He was a very interesting and flawed character and I wanted to know more about his background and missions.  Turns out when I got the first inklings about them, I was less than enthused.  Add in romance leanings, less than interesting special snowflake magic for Kyrra that are gifts from the gods, and her unending stupidity; I was getting annoyed.

Then I found out the book was 767 pages.  At 265 pages we still hadn't gotten back to fierce warrior Kyrra.  "Young" 17 year-old Kyrra matured a little as the book progressed but not nearly enough.  I couldn't reconcile that this idiot could become the Kyrra hinted at in the beginning.  I didn't want to read any more of the sappy romantic feelings that Kyrra had with Arsenault.  The gods and magic just didn't seem worth the struggle to develop a connection with Kyrra.  Arsenault even started to infuriate me with his choices.  He would reveal a secret, Kyrra would have a temper tantrum or pity party, and then rinse and repeat.  She had gone through this ordeal and then turns into a timid 13 year old idiot for the rest of the book that I tried to get through.

I couldn't bear to read anymore.  This book had some interesting ideas and some decent writing but could have used a major trimming and a bit more of an editor's insight and touch.  Or it could just be me.  I am abandoning the book and the rest of the series (whenever it gets written) too.  Arrrr!