ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying this wasn't exactly a bad book, but it just wasn't something I could enjoy. The author is clearly talented and I know she will have her audience, but that audience is, unfortunately, not me. In the moments where I wasn't extremely bored, I was confused. Confused by the magic system, the world, and the amount of characters. I kept hoping that something would shift and I would care about even one character, but I'm afraid the only emotion I would have felt had everyone suddenly dropped dead would have been relief. The book switched POVs so often that I found it hard to get attached to any of the characters, or their personal conflicts.

It was an interesting concept with an interesting world, the execution just fell flat for me.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, let's take a moment to appreciate this beautiful cover. I thought I hated every cover with a face on it but clearly no. Like, is this not the most gorgeous cover? That's what I thought.

Okay, now with what I thought of the book itself.

What an amazing start to a series!

This story, at its core, is about the bitter-sweetness of leaving your childhood behind as you enter into adulthood. It's about the fear, as well as the beauty, of the unknown. It's a story about family, about responsibilities, and about the journeys we take to become who we were meant to be.

For me, this book's strongest point was the characters. Sometimes, it's easy for characters to feel like dolls, putting on a show they believe the reader wants to see. From the first page, I felt like I was entering into someone's life, watching events unfold. The dynamics between the characters felt natural, organic. Jennesara was such an easy character to root for. She was strong and caring; both a princess and a warrior that never felt the need to sacrifice one for the other.

My one critique is that the story felt a bit rushed. Pacing is one of the most common, and unavoidable criticisms for a book. There's a lot that happens, so it makes sense to feel like things flew by just a bit too fast. There were just some events I wish had been given a bit more time, such as the romance. (It's adorable though, so I'll forgive it the minor insta-love.) While this was something I noticed, it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book, so it really is a minor criticism.

Overall, this was a really sweet, enjoyable story and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here.