Typically, I'm not one to just jump blindly into a book. I read the synopsis, look it up and check it's rating, and more often than not, I'll also check out a couple reviews on both ends of the spectrum to better understand what's to love and hate about any given book. In this one instance, however, I couldn't do that. There was no rating, there were no reviews, the Kindle version of the book wasn't even loaded into Goodreads. That had never happened to me before.

I'd been distracted whilst browsing Netgalley and had thought Mercurial was a request-type book. I clicked, and only then realised it was actually a read-now book. The blurb was really interesting, the cover was very graphic-novel-esque and cute, and even though the book didn't have any ratings or reviews to give me an inkling on what to expect, I already had it in my (virtual) hands. So, I decided "eh, what the hell, let's just do it" and went for it. Let's just say, it all turned out to be rather serendipitous.

From the very beginning I kept thinking how much potential this story had to be adapted into a movie or TV show. The plot is great, yes. But that's but a small part of it. The imagery was so well described, the story so skillfully woven and the visuals so arresting and magical. Seeing this story come to life would be nothing short of amazing.

Also, I love a good antihero. Those characters you know you're supposed to dislike, but can't help but root for. The Destroyer was such an amazing character. Flawed, complex, violent but innocent, aloof but lonely. And Tal wasn't far behind, at war with himself, his feelings and beliefs.

I'm not a religious person in the slightest, so when Gods and faith are introduced into a book, I tend to get slightly apprehensive. Being preached to is not what I'm looking for in my novels. But I really enjoyed how religion and faith was portrayed here.

The God was an intrinsic part of the mythology and lore of this world. It was imbued into the very blood that flowed through those with magic powers, but was also separate and distant. And I really appreciated how Tal struggled with his beliefs and faith in this God through it all. The grief, guilt and feelings of betrayal destroyed his once idealistic, naive mindset. Learning and coming to terms with the fact that life is not divine intervention, but that we all have free will and choose the paths we follow. That we can love something we hate and hate something we love. These were all very deep, very philosophical topics to approach. And it was done masterfully.

Now, after all the praise I've rained down upon this wonderful book, you may wonder why not give it 5 starts then? Well, because of one big point, and another smaller one.

I did not very much like the character of Tal's sister, Nyx. She was a very important part of the story, as the main antagonist to our female protagonist Elodie/The Destroyer, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand her motives. Nyx's whole purpose was to basically save her younger brother. And she was so savagely dedicated, blindly relentless and doggedly persistent in this task. But why? Why did she feel so responsible for Tal? Why was she willing to give up everything and more to save him? And these questions were reinforced by the fact that Elodie's older sister, the Empress Sarai, was just as fiercely protective of her, and there was an actual meaningful, heavy reason behind it (no spoilers!). So, yes, all that made it impossible for me to empathize with Nyx and like her character.

As for the smaller reason for docking the book a star, I would really have liked an epilogue. The ending was good, it neatly brought the story to a close, but I would have liked to see a little more. The was a tiny tease of a mini epilogue at one point in the form of a vision, but c'mon, that wasn't enough! After so much violence, hurt and suffering, I would have liked a little domestic bliss; peaceful, happy cohabitation. Also, I wouldn't have been mad at a little more PDA. Something to keep in mind for the next book maybe? Let a girl dream.

**I received an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I heard this was character driven and I was sold. Boi did it not disappoint. It really does get you dragged into the characters and their relationships with each other. This was quite unique as a ya fantasy, and I loved that about it. the only flaw may be the fact that I wanted to know more about the universe of this read, but maybe there will be a sequel that will delve into that! I sure hope so

Whilst browsing through Netgalley, I stumbled across this book and requested it in exchange for an honest review. Less than 24 hours later and I have already read the whole book and loved every minute of it!

This book follows Tal, who has visions of himself vowing to protect the Empress's sister, commonly known as, The Destroyer. Tal believes in this vision without knowing why or at what cost and makes this vow. 2 years later and a rebel attack means The Destroyer has forgotten her identity and lost her power. Tal and The Destroyer (now known as Elodie) have to work together to survive whilst Tal battles with himself on where his loyalties lie. And so much more happens! But I will let you pick up the book for yourselves to find out!

First of all, I loved the writing in this book. From the very first sentence, you are thrown into the story and quickly learn of the characters and the situations they face. I loved how complex Tal and Elodie and rooted for both of them. I also enjoyed the side characters in this book and overall themes of power, survival, relationships and family. The pacing is fast, with lots of obstacles and twists that I wasn't expecting.

This is a very character driven story, which for me was perfect, although, I would like to learn more about the world and the magic. I really hope there is going to be a sequel as I'm not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet!

This book was very different from what I am used to reading but it was so good! I loved the main characters' twisted relationship and the story plotline. I could not get enough of Tal and the destroyers story and was so sad when I finished the book. I will be recommending this book to my friends.