Format: Print 

Ok, I have joined the hype train for this one! 

I will admit that I initially struggled. I think that first kind of prologue where we are introduced to the world can be slightly confusing and a combination of feeling ill and tired meant I just didn't get it. I ended up putting the book down 35 pages on and picking it up a few weeks later. This time I really took my time over the prologue section and also spent some time with the glossary and it made so much more sense. I got a much better grounding in the world and felt a lot happier going into the main part of the book. 

And I loved it. 

I loved how complex a character Raeve was. She was flawed and kept secrets and I thought it was really clever how the author kept us guessing throughout the whole book both at what those secrets were, and when/how they'd be revealed. 

I did have some initial concerns when we met Kaan that their relationship would be based solely on past events and feelings but it was really reassuring to see the relationship develop. There was tension and a bit of banter and you could see how Kaan's feelings developed throughout the book, moving from that past history to the present day. While yes, there was clearly an influence from before, it wasn’t the sole influence. 

The book is multi POV which doesn't always work for me but these other perspectives weren't introduced until it made sense for the story to have them and this worked so much better for me than having a load of unnecessary perspectives throughout. 

Overall, I just really fell for this book. In fact, I fell so hard I treated myself to several special editions. Oops! Can't believe I have to wait until October 2025 for the next book, though at least this means I will definitely have a reread coming next year.