Hmmmmm...

Did not love.

Tamzin annoyed me and actually most of the characters did and I just didn’t care about them. The world building was very stilted and even though I have an idea of the magic systems it just didn’t add up for me. One of the things I disliked the most was very black and white views all the characters have. There are no shades of grey and that’s just not how things are and I find characters who are portrayed that way very frustrating.

I got this in a Fairyloot box and I fell in love with the cover so then I had to go and get the sequel because that cover was also stunning and now I’m going to have to read it and likely not enjoy it.

3.5-4.

Not crazy about everything that happened in the book, but the setting, premise, and last section are enough to definitely make me want to read the sequel.

Also, what a BEAUTIFUL cover.

Malgré les bonnes, je n'ai pas réussi à me mettre à fond dans cette lecture. Il me manquait quelque chose et je pense qu'il manquait surtout d'action dans une bonne grosse partie du livre. Seule la fin et son retournement de situation sont intéressants.

This world is basically my aesthetic, I wish I could go there!
I really enjoyed the descriptions of hiking, climbing, and camping. It captures the beauty, excitement, and tedium of exploring and the necessity of working together and trusting your instincts. Also some truly creepy moments of not knowing what is outside your tent!

Maybe more like 3.75 stars?
Ummmm... WHAT?!? I did not have very high expectations for this book. The synopsis is honestly nothing like it. The real book is an intense fantasy with dragons and witches and fire demons and... other lovely things. I was genuinely shocked and impressed by the ending; I believe it takes a lot of guts to finish a book like that. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel!!

Himalayan Mountaineering culture + western witchcraft traditions + YA love "triangle" = SUCH A GREAT READ!! i absolutely loved this book and devoured it with a big grin on my face. I loved taking such a specific thing (I MUST CLIMB THAT UNCLIMBABLE MOUNTAIN) and built a YA fantasy novel about it. Kamzin was a fierce main character with a rich rainbow of emotions. The tone of the book reminded me quite a lot of Graceling, and really leaned into taking time to explore that feeling of WOW that Kamzin would frequently feel as she traversed through her journey. The 'love triangle' was not always my favorite, but the main plot never leaned too heavily into it for me, and clearly i still loved it enough for a 5 star. Can't wait for the next one.

I really loved this book it was very exciting I loved all aspects of the story can't wait for the sequel. I really liked the characters especially Kamzin and River even with what happened at the end that just makes me want more. I loved the story it was so very well written I loved everything from the journey to the romance and the magic and all of the interesting things that happened. So overall I loved this book and I really need that sequel now.

The first in a sweeping and action-packed debut fantasy duology loosely inspired by the early climbers of Mt. Everest—perfect for fans of Cindy Pon and Alison Goodman.

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition.

This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.