Velasin and Caethari immediately stole my heart with their fumbling hope and endless yearning. They are both strong and clever in their own right, but truly out of their league when it came to being married (adorable.) Velasin is shattered and searching for a reason to try, and Cae gives him one after the other as they work to solve a mystery together and figure out what it means to be outside of family and societal expectations. 

I saw the twist coming, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the series of events at the end and the growth of the characters. 

And don’t even get me started on Markel. He is adorable and selfless and loyal and all things good. This author writes a really loveable character really well.