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megansreading's review
adventurous
medium-paced
3.75
This book has Mer people, high stakes, flying, and an arrogant prince. All things that I love! I've been burned before by self-published books, so I was nervous going in. It was also pitched as being like The Cruel Prince, which I did not enjoy. However, my hesitation was totally not needed.
My favorite parts of the book were the interactions between Saoirse and Rook. I was flying through the banter, the threats, the tentative extensions of peace. Those are the parts that most made me get lost in the world.
Surprisingly, my favorite character was Raven, the Queen and Rook's older sister. She immediately got my attention with the allusions to her backstory and her shifting motivations. Though, of course, I enjoyed both Saoirse and Rook's POV. They clearly had their own motivations for fighting in the tournament, and I respected them both even though they were on opposite sides of a tenuous political situation.
The worldbuilding was so fun. I love mythology, so the hints at the Titans and old heroes of this world caught my attention. I do wish that we got firmer descriptions of the people from the beginning, especially the Mer. (I was picturing mermaid tails and gills, which are not there. They also walk while underwater which I have a hard time imagining.) It was cool to see the Auran world from an outside and Auran perspective. I'm excited that the book seems to be setting up more world exploration in the coming sequels.
Oh, and I cannot help but mention the plot twists and reveals. The climax of this book is packed with tension and both POV characters discover new information that changes everything.
The biggest things holding me back from giving five stars are pacing and background characters. The beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me. This was partially because every page had dense paragraphs that are easy to get lost in. When the trial finally started, I was nearly halfway through the book when I was expecting to be there much earlier. Additionally, while I enjoyed some of the side characters like Raven and Hasana, I was missing that spark of life from some of the others. At one point, a narrator observes how it's hard to imagine hurting the other tributes because they're clearly individuals with their own hopes and lives. I didn't feel that sentiment, and I wish I had.
Overall, I believe this is a wonderful debut. If you're looking for a fun fantasy world with tense political alliances, a soft magic system, and a deadly tournament, this is the book for you. You'll also have fun with a retelling that includes enemies-to-lovers and betrayals.
**I was given a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
My favorite parts of the book were the interactions between Saoirse and Rook. I was flying through the banter, the threats, the tentative extensions of peace. Those are the parts that most made me get lost in the world.
Surprisingly, my favorite character was Raven, the Queen and Rook's older sister. She immediately got my attention with the allusions to her backstory and her shifting motivations. Though, of course, I enjoyed both Saoirse and Rook's POV. They clearly had their own motivations for fighting in the tournament, and I respected them both even though they were on opposite sides of a tenuous political situation.
The worldbuilding was so fun. I love mythology, so the hints at the Titans and old heroes of this world caught my attention. I do wish that we got firmer descriptions of the people from the beginning, especially the Mer. (I was picturing mermaid tails and gills, which are not there. They also walk while underwater which I have a hard time imagining.) It was cool to see the Auran world from an outside and Auran perspective. I'm excited that the book seems to be setting up more world exploration in the coming sequels.
Oh, and I cannot help but mention the plot twists and reveals. The climax of this book is packed with tension and both POV characters discover new information that changes everything.
The biggest things holding me back from giving five stars are pacing and background characters. The beginning of the book felt a bit slow to me. This was partially because every page had dense paragraphs that are easy to get lost in. When the trial finally started, I was nearly halfway through the book when I was expecting to be there much earlier. Additionally, while I enjoyed some of the side characters like Raven and Hasana, I was missing that spark of life from some of the others. At one point, a narrator observes how it's hard to imagine hurting the other tributes because they're clearly individuals with their own hopes and lives. I didn't feel that sentiment, and I wish I had.
Overall, I believe this is a wonderful debut. If you're looking for a fun fantasy world with tense political alliances, a soft magic system, and a deadly tournament, this is the book for you. You'll also have fun with a retelling that includes enemies-to-lovers and betrayals.
**I was given a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
Content Warnings
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
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