After further thoughts and processing, this just wasn’t it for me. 

I didn’t feel like the world was built well enough for me to understand what was going on, which then led to me not understanding the conflict being created between Lee and Annie. We just get thrown in with no context for anything beyond short flashbacks to their childhood that still don’t actually tell you anything. 

It felt like the author couldn’t choose between character-driven or plot-driven and went with both. Which for me, didn’t work. 

So DNR it is and moving on to other TBR books. 

This is what slow burn should be. 

I’m so invested now because HELLO?! THAT ENDING?! 

Omg. 

I don’t find the writing to be as bad as everyone else is saying. However, it definitely could have used some more editing because spending like 50-60% of the book just running through woods and camping got tedious very fast. 

It felt like the plot didn’t know when it wanted to actually start?? If at all?? I saw the end coming from a five miles away but I did like how it was revealed. But even then this book felt more like a part one of a larger book and maybe that’s how it actually should have been written instead of a book on its own. 

I did like that the “one bed” trope was played with a little differently (one cloak? One cave? Idk lol) so that was fun. And I can see the potential for the characters. His switch from kindness to possessiveness and demanding was a bit of a whiplash but also

knowing that he’s spent lifetimes feeling her live and die and never being with her would probably do that to anyone out of fear and trauma response.

I just wish their connection had been explored a bit more in this book. 

I may still continue the series because I have a lot of questions but I’ve read so many of these types of books so I feel like I know what’s going to happen. 

We’ll see. For now…. My rating stands. It was just… mid. 

 It may change depending on what happens in/with book 2. 

This was heartwarming and heart-wrenching at the same time. I have a book hangover. And I would do it all over again. 

And while it’s a standalone, there are definitely clear Connections to other parts of the Cosmere that are more obvious if you’ve read the books the different story elements were referencing

(I picked up on Warbreaker and Stormlight Archives ones almost immediately.)

However, you can still enjoy this novel whether or not you’ve read other Cosmere novels.