2.5/5

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The journey to discovering oneself, nurturing secret magic powers that are forbidden, fantasy politics, badass female warriors, queer romance, and all while on a quest to find a missing family member? Sign me up!

I forgot to check the content warnings, so don’t be like me, unless you’re in the mood for unpleasant surprises.

The story was told in multiple character POV, which is lovely, but sometimes it was unclear as to when the narrator switched, and I was horribly confused. There was also lack of clarity for when some parts of the story were told in flashback.

I wish that there had been more exposition for the setting and magic system in this world. We get a map, and that’s about it for world building. I spent too much time trying to piece together the setting, that I wasn’t able to become fully immersed in the story and the characters’ experiences.

Overall, I wanted more connection and dialogue between characters. I think the strongest relationship was between the protagonist and the horse (which isn’t bad, but I wanted the same attention spent on her relationships with her peers/rivals/mentor/love interest). There was also very little romance; I love a good slow burn, but it was disappointing, since the queerness was what originally piqued my internet in reading this story.

This series has the makings to be phenomenal, and this book could be the perfect setup for the sequel that knocks my expectations out of the park. And I’m really hoping it does. As part of the ARC team for this novel, I am thankful to Oliver Heber Books for this opportunity.