What I Liked:
I am a sucker for plots where the female protagonist experiences something tragic but rises above the adversity to become even stronger. There was a lot going on in this book but the bigger picture is slowly revealed to both the reader and the main character, Carleah, as the story progresses. It’s also filled with tons of fun tropes and has delicious sexual tension between Carleah and her love interest, Fort, during the first half.
What I Didn’t Really Like:
There were just a couple of things that bothered me a little while I was reading. First, the language choice, especially in the dialogue, felt like an odd mix of formal and informal styles with in influx of swearing. Carleah is a royal so I could understand her having a more formal way of speaking, but then she would randomly use contractions. As a result, the dialogue didn’t always flow easily in my head. Second, I had many questions as I was reading, such as “Why had Carleah and Fort never touched if they essentially grew up together?” Most of these questions were answered eventually and I was okay with waiting for the answers until they were more easily woven into the narrative.
Overall:
If you like epic fantasy world building and steamy romance, then this book is definitely for you. As the first book of a short series, it does end of a cliff hanger/reveal that will leave you anxious to move on to the second book.
I received this book as an ARC from HiddenGemBooks. My review is voluntary.
