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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book completely swept me away, and I loved every moment of it. Right from the start, I was drawn in by the intensity of Sylvia’s story. Her determination to survive, the weight of her hidden identity, and the constant danger kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed the mix of political intrigue, rebellion, and slow-burning tension. It added a lot of depth and made the story hard to put down. The writing was vivid and immersive, with a great balance of action, emotion, and worldbuilding. What stood out to me the most was how layered the characters are. Sylvia is both strong and vulnerable, and her relationship with Arin kept me invested. Their connection is complicated in the best way. This is one of those fantasy books that reminded me why I love the genre: it’s gripping, emotional, and has that special spark that makes you want to stay in its world. For me, this was an easy 5 stars, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Starts slow and its a bit hard to keep track of all the history and historical references but a decent read in the end. Clunky narration and the worldbuilding gets confusing at times. Felt tedious in the beginning but better towards the end.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Possible triggers: Abusive relationship, Assault, Childhood trauma, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Mental health, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence
Overall star rating (out of 5⭐️): 3.5
Spice level (out of 5🌶️): 0.5 (just one kiss)
Content review: I enjoyed the beginning of the book and the world setting. But, oh boy, there is a lot going on. The political intrigue is confusing, the main female character has many issues and the plot is a bit hard to follow. I don’t know what it was or when I started to drift off, but at some point around 80% of the book I was just wishing that it would be over.
Narrator review: no complains the narrators were great! 4 out of 5
Tags: betrayal, dark vibes, evil creatures/monsters, fantasy, hidden/secret identity, high fantasy, magic, morally grey fmc, morally grey mmc, political intrigue, romantasy, slow burn, strong fmc, young adult
Tropes: enemy to lover, he falls first and harder, knife to throat, one horse only, trails/competition
❤️ Love interest: Arin x Sylvia
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Mixed feelings! I'll decide after reading book #2.
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
I have questions…but fully here for book 2. I’m obsessed with all the character ( looking specifically at you, Sefa). And I also love female rage done right where she is only a little bit annoying!
Yeah so immediately I need to find more Egyptian-inspired fantasy books BC I LOVED THIS SETTING SO MUCH and finally enemies to lovers WHERE THEY ARE ACTUALLY ENEMIES (you would think this is an easy thing to ask for in a book but I digress) and the romance was a subplot!!!!
Writing style was BEAUTIFULLLL
One star off bc I felt the world building was a bit confusing, so many places and names to keep up with and there were times where there was no explanation at all? Idk maybe I’m just slow lol
And although I loved the subtle enemies to lovers build up, I wasn’t completely sold on the romance at the end. Felt like it could have happened in the second book instead, to feel more realistic. But I do get why the ending needed the romance to come to a head to really make it all the more complicated BUT STILL JUST FELT OFF FOR SOME REASON
Idk anything actually, why am I spiralling rn ANYWAYS OVERALL I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Some of my fav quotes:
Writing style was BEAUTIFULLLL
One star off bc I felt the world building was a bit confusing, so many places and names to keep up with and there were times where there was no explanation at all? Idk maybe I’m just slow lol
And although I loved the subtle enemies to lovers build up, I wasn’t completely sold on the romance at the end. Felt like it could have happened in the second book instead, to feel more realistic. But I do get why the ending needed the romance to come to a head to really make it all the more complicated BUT STILL JUST FELT OFF FOR SOME REASON
Idk anything actually, why am I spiralling rn ANYWAYS OVERALL I HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Some of my fav quotes: