What can I say about this book other than I truly cannot wait for the second book. However I do have to say that marketing this as a Mulan retelling in my opinion is incorrect. I can see where the author drew her inspiration from but I think that it just falls a bit short. Yes she joins disguised as a boy, but that’s about where the similarities end. This book is a lot, between the information/ worldbuilding, the storyline, and the characters you truly feel like you are in this fictional world. In this book we follow the journey of three different characters, but mostly through Lara Morinis POV (our FMC). I loved the multi-POV in this books because I am a huge fan of knowing absolutely everything regarding the MCs thoughts. It just creates a much better flow in my opinion.  This book starts off a bit slow but as it builds you get addicted to the story chapter by chapter. I was a bit overwhelmed at first with the amount of information, but the way the author writes it made it less so all at once & more like sprinkled in throughout intentionally. This is also friends to lovers which I usually am not a huge fan of, but for these three I was totally for it. I did get a little annoyed by how much the MMCs kept saying how “innocent” she was. But, I loved seeing the growing relationship & eventually the budding love these characters cultivated. Please check your TW & CW thoroughly because there are many topics/situations that can cause someone to DNF this book. I was a bit upset with the way Lara’s trauma was written to not only harm her but one of the MMCs, almost in a way to further the plot. I don’t think it was necessary to prove the strength Lara no doubly could have cultivated from a more positive experience. I may have a different view on this aspect of the book than others due to personal reasons & that’s okay because reading is subjective.

I wrote a book! I hope you enjoy it :)