Reviews

Cyra & Akos have defied their fates time and again in their desire to live. Cyra's brother Ryzek - the cruel ruler of Shotet - is now in their custody after a showdown in the arena. Isae, the chancellor of Thuvesit and enemy of Ryzek, isn't content to let justice prevail and takes matters into her own hands. Cyra & Akos must flee with his mother & brother to Ogra, where they hope to find shelter & assistance amongst the Shotet exiles living there while Isae and Cisi, Akos's sister, travel to the Assembly ship to win support for the Thuvesit cause. But both Shotet & Thuvesit will face a mutual enemy they thought was long dead. Wars are declared, secrets revealed, and fates challenged as Cyra & Akos cling to hope to get them through.

This book is a bit of a wild ride - lots of surprises and plot twists for pretty much every character. Cyra & Akos both deal with their own demons & struggles as things weigh heavy on them; their desire to be together is strong but so are their insecurities. They do deepen their friendships with others, especially Cyra, who becomes closer with Teka. Both of them have complicated relationships with Sifa but I liked how that was left at the end - understandably unresolved. The only thing I didn't enjoy was Cisi: I don't really understand the point of having her POV in the story. She didn't develop as a character at all (she starts out as a manipulator and ends the same way) and doesn't actually make any differences to the overall plot. If she was missing from the story, everything would have ended exactly the same. But that being said, I loved Akos & Cyra's stories so much that this book still gets 4 stars from me!

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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? Yes

4.0

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