4.5
"even a day by his side is worth a lifetime of misery"
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”He couldn’t do that again, now that he knew what was happening to him, and still keep his heart secret—he’d give it all away somehow, by whispering in his sleep those things he shouldn’t say or clinging too hard to Kadou. It was the thing his heart yearned for with a sharp stabbing pain, just to be allowed to be close to him, to hold him quietly, to rub his face in Kadou’s hair and feel the gentle rhythm of his breath in sleep. It was the one thing he could not allow himself to have, not even a second taste, never again. He already knew too much of it from the night before, but that, he insisted to himself, was different. He hadn’t known he was in love then.”

Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court in an altercation that results in his humiliation. To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.

So a few posts ago, I mentioned how I wasn't really liking this. I was 30% into it, and I wasn't very invested in the plot, the characters, or the romance. But then, cut to me, screaming, screeching reading the last chapter of this book. I'M OBSESSED!! I'M SORRY I SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE FIRST THIRD

I was very interested in reading this because of that beautiful cover, and I went into it not knowing what it was about. The only things I knew were that it was a slow-burn bodyguard romance, that's it. And I recommend going into it that way because it's much more surprising.

The plot is very straightforward. It's a conspiracy that feels obvious, and I guessed what was going on halfway through, but that didn't bother me because it was still very engaging.

The romance !!! This book has a combination of things that always makes me FERAL. There's brushing each other's hair. There's dramatic hand-holding. There's kissing to avoid suspicion. There's the italicized 'oh' when they realize they have feelings. There's "you are mine, and I am yours" in italics (this one specifically, every time it appears in a book, I will give it five stars).

Evemer and Kadou were so well written. They complimented each other and were better together.

This book has a very similar feel to Winter's Orbit. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I think if you loved Winter's Orbit, you will love this. They have a similar vibe to it. Both are slow-burn, soft romances that happen alongside an investigation trying to uncover a conspiracy. I liked this one a lot more because I feel like it does those things better.

Also, really loved the anxiety representation in this! Kadou has anxiety and sometimes suffers some panic attacks. While I think it could have been explored more than it was, it was still amazing to see. I always appreciate seeing good mental health representation in a fantasy novel.

I didn't give it a FULL five stars because I feel the main plot was resolved way too quickly and way too easily. Like I finished the book, and then I had to go back to check if I missed something.

Still! Can't recommend this enough! I loved it!! It comes out at the end of this month. And please come scream to me if/when you read it!!