SHUT UPPPPP. This was JUICY. If all romantasy was like this, I would be the biggest romantasy girl of all time. I completely adored this book and read the majority of it in one sitting.

This had the perfect balance of fantasy elements to romance elements for my tastes. The kingdom rivalries, scheming and plotting, action, and political intrigue were so engrossing. There was a TRUE slow burn romance between Lara and Aren and we actually get to see their relationship progress in a way that makes sense and had me rooting for them. And speaking of our main POVs, I just loved them so much. They both had such strong and clear motivations and I was so invested to see how things would play out, not just in their relationship, but also in how they would interact with the world around them. There were some pretty engaging twists and turns and even though I saw some of them coming, it was still really entertaining to see them play out. I wouldn’t say this is the most unique premise or overall story, but the execution was excellent so I didn’t mind the trope-y elements and plot points. 

Solid writing, solid pacing, and solid characterization. It really hit all the marks for me and I will absolutely be starting the second one ASAP.