There is so much I can say about this book. I was hooked by page 15 because of the commentary on a tyrannical government. And I just fell in love more and more as the world beyond the Quicksilver opened up.

Saeris Fane is an absolute BADASS and I love how she speaks her mind. She is thrust into a world completely unknown to her and handles it incredibly. I really enjoyed reading a fantasy novel with an FMC in her mid 20s because you get the chance to see a bit more nuance in her actions.

Kingfisher? Damn. I love a morally gray MMC as much as the next girl but I also love a tormented MMC. Learning the extent of what he has experienced in the time he was missing was just.... wow.

I love that this book ended with a slight cliffhanger and can't wait to go back into this world later this year with Brimstone.

Thank goodness I started this book on a Friday because I couldn't put it down! Thank you LJ for the ARC!

This book was incredible - between the relationships between Ary and the rest of the traveling group, the worldbuilding, the pantheon of the Gods, the introduction of the threat - I spent the whole time piecing together theories just to be delightfully surprised.

Ary is such an interesting FMC and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her come into her power, in more ways than one, throughout the story.

Gavin Smyth - what a man! The restraint. The YEARNING. I live for the way the relationship progressed in this book.

Can I have book 2 like yesterday? Please?

While this is technically a prequel, the author recommends it be read third and after reading the series up to this point, I can see why. Book 1 let us meet Sage as she is in this reincarnation, let us see her meet Von and others from her past without any memory of them. Book 2 expanded upon this and showed us Sage regaining her memories of her prior life.

But this book? This book showed the whole history between Sage and Von - and made me emotional over them. It made everything Von did and said in Book 1 make even more sense too - why he kept putting off being intimate with her fully.

I have so many questions about “The Empress” and how she is going to become relevant in the next book. All in all, I just can’t wait to fall back into this world in September.

This expanded on the world laid out in Between Life & Death in a way that had me glued to the pages trying to piece things together. Getting flashbacks as Sage did that opened up the world and gave us insight into what her prior life had been left me wanting more. Plus, the addition of Von’s POV? 

Von, they could never make me hate you. Aurelius on the other hand? I can and will hate you for everything you have done to my girl Sage and the world as a whole.

The book ends on a cliffhanger that won’t be expanded upon until later this year but I honestly can’t wait to see what happens from here.

This has to be one of my favorite fantasy novels in a long time. The world building is masterfully done - between multiple languages created just for this story, travel that actually takes time, historical information about old gods/goddesses & Níkav’s people, and an interesting magic system - you really get the chance to feel pulled into the world.

The reluctant allies to lovers romance had me giggling and kicking my feet. I love when a slow burn actually takes its time to burn and when you are halfway through the book without anything really happening in that department, you know it’s a good one.

Rae Lavellan wrote an incredible book here. I love a strong druid FMC like Nesia. Her journey has only just begun and I can’t wait until I get to go back into this world with book 2!