Jaring as the chapter styles are I loved the characters in this book at the beginning and end. While difficult to keep up with the tonal pacing going back in time and forward to the future between every chapter, once you settle into its movement it can be a lot of fun. Obi and George are amazing romantic leads, Alarik has more personality and drive than most dead-beat dads are given, and the threat looming over them is grand. Asha’s situation starts a little cliche, but I can and did get behind her motivations to leave the planet she was enslaved on - but I would have liked to be more invested. The brutality of their conditions are reason enough, but her chapter comes and goes rather fast and with her mother having so little interaction time it’s harder to emotionally connect with them. 

Asha's personality only grows more endearing as the story unfolds, and I personally found her to be a good lead for the series with a lot of potential and development - I would have loved to see a little more of that being flesheed out in her first few chapters (especially her relationship with her mother, I think if we had spent as much time with her as we do with Obi and George I would have bought into the stakes with my whole soul). 

There was one main lead that I never really felt connected to, but they might be being saved for the next book. In all, I was invested, I enjoyed the ride it took me on and forgive the few grammatical errors that seem to pop up in the last 15% - I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel!