I honestly didn't know this book was self published until I came to write this review, but in hindsight this explains a few things about the book. This book is #4 in the series, and I have not read the first three, but that didn't dampen my experience with the novel at all. This is definitely a "you can just jump right in" kind of novel. 

The worldbuilding and magic system are unique and fascinating. I was captivated from the moment I read the prologue. The problem is, right after the prologue, we get a 14 year time-skip. If this author ever decided to reframe her works, she would be a high fantasy writer that was a household name. This book could have so easily been A Taste of Gold and Iron or A Strange and Stubborn Endurance but it falls a just short. With the focus being primarily on the relationship, a few things fell off to the wayside, namely this really cool magic bond that Vana and Daromir seem to have evolved. First of all, sharing each other's pain is the best setup for a hurt/comfort story that I ever heard. Then, for some reason that isn't really explored in-universe, their bond changes and they also share pleasure, which makes for interesting hanky-panky. Besides causing some slight relationship angst when Vana has to tell Daromir about the change in the bond, but that's it.

I would have been so interested to get a story that follows Vana and Daromir from their homeland to Draskora and their blossoming feelings from each other, I would have been in heaven. So much interesting content from those missing 14 years! That said, within the scope of the story this book tells, I think it does a pretty good job. I think the climax could have been a bit higher stakes, and the ending felt abrupt. The premise was so good, all I can really say is that I just wanted more from this novel!

★★★½ fantastic premise stars