⚠️ TW: arranged marriage, child marriage and brief mentions of miscarriage and stillbirth ⚠️ Firstly, WOW! Leigh Bardugo did it again and left me not being able to put down one of her books 🙈 This book is the first in this duology and it primarily follows Nikolai and Zoya after Ravka's civil war but no one knows what he truly endured during that bloody time in his country's history and he intends to keep it that way. However as enemies gather at Ravka's weakened borders he needs to find ways to refuel his country's dire finances, forge new alliances and stop the rising threat to the Grisha Army. Yet as the days go by the dark, ominous magic inside him threatens to destroy everything he has built before his enemies can even begin which leaves him with no other option but to risk everything in order to save himself and his country before it's too late. This book was incredible and has easily become one of my favourite Grishaverse books. So much happens and it is hard to review without giving spoilers but Leigh Bardugo absolutely smashed it! It had me crying, swooning and my heart beating out of my chest with suspense and anticipation. The two main things above everything that I loved most about this book are the brilliant multiple storylines between Nina and Nikolai and Zoya and I loved that we got to know more about Zoya and Nikolai and their back stories from childhood. Also, as with the other Grishaverse books there is so much great representation for the LGBTQ+ and disability communities which I love to see. And omg that ending! Overall, I highly recommend reading this book and I cannot wait to dive into the next book in this duology.