1st read;
I was blown away by this book. It has the closeness of a magical-psychic-bond without the tropes of a romance. Instead, that closeness and friendship is used to work through character arcs and themes of letting people in.

2nd read:
I originally gave this book 4 stars. Months later, I'm still thinking about it and it was just as good the second time. So I've upgraded it to 5 stars.
Check out my full video review at:
https://youtu.be/Ds-Kr7YsD78

Lyss is training in magic and the sword to become strong enough to kill her father’s murderer. Skaar is a magical monster who has recently escaped from captivity. When they collide, they accidentally get tangled up in a blood pact that both forces them to stick together and is likely to drive them insane.

I think the moment when I fully realized how magnificent this book is this: we are introduced to a new POV character. He is likeable and relatable. Then we figure out that he is our villain. And his Point of View chapters throughout the book were utilized just as well as that first one, both to help us understand him and to up the stakes for the protagonists.

This book is rich with character development and dramatic moments. The emotional moments with the characters are wonderfully balanced with action scenes and a quest. I loved every scene from beginning to end. Even more impressively, this book wraps up nicely while also leaving room for an engaging sequel.

Thanks to The Parliament House and Netgalley for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.