This book is a gripping, extremely dark tale of a young woman’s fight for truth and belonging among treachery, betrayal, and violence. This book contains nearly constant on page depictions of SA and PA that may be disturbing to readers. Although the book is very mysterious and suspenseful, many questions are posed throughout and none are answered, leaving the reader confused.

This book definitely has what it takes to keep a reader interested, but there are several plot holes and a magic system that isn’t nearly as developed as it could have been. There are vague mentions of witches and psychic abilities, but they aren’t expounded upon. It is the hope that the reader gets more answers in the following book, but the way that first book is left is very hard to swallow.

All of that being said, I feel this author and book series have a lot of potential, but it just didn’t hit for me. In a dark fantasy romance, you expect some dark themes, but you also expect there to be a silver lining of some self discovery or romance. Poor Eleanor, like the reader, is left with more questions and a heart that has been broken so many times she is numb.

There was a gratuitous amount of PA and SA, that was not only troubling, but did not further the plot or really serve a purpose other than to depict awful abuse on the page. I truly hope that the intent is for the FMC to rise from the proverbial ashes and come into herself, for all of her pain to be worth something, but so far, there is no sign of that.

Overall, this book did keep me on the edge of my seat, and I will likely read the next installment of the series just for hopes of some redemption for the FMC.

DISCLAIMER: please read the warnings and triggers and take them seriously. When I say that there is nearly CONSTANT abuse both sexually and physically in this book, I mean it.