The main character was the first and most amazing thing about this to me. Zephyr’s character is a fascinating morally grey character, who would've straight up seemed like a villain if we had not been reading her perspective. She’s not some impulsive, rage-fueled rebel with a righteous cause- the kind we typically see in fantasy stories. She’s not the one being manipulated, but rather the one unapologetically moving people like pawns across a chess board. A fact about her past explains her personality we discover later in the book, which I consider a stroke of genius. So much of the book was just me being bewildered at how fascinating and rare her character was. Far from one-dimensional- Zephyr is equal parts unserious, funny, logical and ambitious. She does grow more empathetic as time goes by, caring deeply for the people around her, but it takes time for her to get there. Some would argue that she goes almost too far to get what she wants, and is remorseful in the face of the consequences of her actions.

The person who gets on her nerves the quickest and yet also through the walls she puts up is, surprisingly, her rival- Crow, the advisor to the enemy kingdom.

His character captures the readers despite his page time being relatively shorter than I expected. He’s the perfect other half to Zephyr, like a missing puzzle piece. Despite her refusal to acknowledge it, Crow is one of the people who renders her vulnerable and uncertain. Making her dream of a life she will go against the odds to fight for. 
Yet their loyalties lie in different places, and that’s one thing they can’t simply give up on, even for each other. 

From the moment the book starts, it’s one scheme and manoeuvre after another. The plot is constantly moving, not through elaborate scenes of battle (though those exist as well) but rather through a series of alliances, lies, betrayals and fragile trust. It’s startingly riveting. The book concluded with an interesting twist, immediately leaving the reader wanting more