5/5

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? YA Fantasy

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? No

• Is it spicy? Fade to black

• Is it violent or gory? Swordfighting

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you are a fan of Brigid Kemmerer’s work, buy it!

Review: If you have ever wondered what the blacksmith or the baker of a backwater village in a kingdom with magical royalty ever felt about them, well here is your chance to find out. I didn’t realize how much I missed the world of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow until I got into this book. I loved everything about it.

First, the main characters are a breath of fresh air since they aren’t magically powered or royalty or have any sort of privilege. They are the common folk scraping by and desperate. Callyn and Jax are in no position to bargain or be power players, but seize an opportunity out of sheer desperation. Tycho, while a member of two courts, is also literally caught in between them and a rebellion brewing among the people. Their struggles to be loyal to their families, their own morals, and their kingdoms places them in increasingly difficult circumstances they never once asked for. All of them are also young, inexperienced, and just want to live in peace. Too bad.

Second, the plot, while it meanders here and there, kept my attention. Who is loyal to whom? What is everyone’s motivation? Who is right and who is just wanting to sow chaos? There are so many key players and groups but no one can see the bigger picture. Third, the world building and political intrigue was so, so good! Seeing the power couples we have come to know from the Cursebreakers series in a different light and understanding the point of view from non-magical people is rarely explored in YA fantasy and I loved how much more dimension this gives this world. Seriously, both courts need to hire Kris Jenner for their PR because their image ain’t great.

I was riveted the entire time and can’t wait for the next book coming out early next year!