I wish I could give this book 6 stars.

I am so thankful that I was able to receive an arc of this. When I say this, I’m not being hyperbolic: I really do believe that this will become a very popular book in 2024. It deserves to be. From the writing to the storytelling to the character work, all of it is lush and immersive. Cole has such a talent for showing! She isn’t just telling us when she’s writing and that’s why what she writes also feels so visceral.

I love, love, love a man vs. god conflict. It always gets me every single time because despite us being mere mortals we will always crave the ability to control or disrupt the ways that the strings of fate are strummed. To have so many characters included and for them to all have their unique personalities in tact is a feat.

The world-building here is amazing. The way Cole maneuvers between giving us just enough information and then having us see it. It never feels like there’s an info dump, even though I don’t always mind those.

I also think watching Faron honestly grapple with what she’s felt surrounding being the child emperyean, the trauma around it and more was very good.

I think there’s something so special about this book. A Jamaican inspired Joan of arc with dragons that addresses the cost of war, colonization, and revolution and what comes next to avoid that. How war stays deep in your bones. The choices that we make and have made in the past.

I truly believe this is one of the best books of 2024 and I cannot wait for everyone else to read it.

!!!! Um, go read this book, this is one of the most immersive fantasies I've read??

💫 It's the story of two sisters who go through wild and emotional journeys to save their kingdom *and * to save each other. It's a story of sisterhood, family, friendship, and romance in the unlikeliest of places. And this book also examines the emotions and practicalities in a war-ravaged, just-freed-from-colonization kingdom, where a second war / repeated colonization seems imminent.

💫 I have to specifically mention the author's writing here! Without giving any plot spoilers, I can say that this book starts a few years after a major historical event in the kingdom, and it's clear that the MCs and the secondary characters have strong trauma and shared history from the past. However, the author touches upon every past event without there being any info-dump-y paragraphs, and ensuring that every mention of the past by the characters is described with sufficient emotional cues so that the reader can feel the past and not just be shown it. It's truly impressive how the writing ensures that the reader can grasp the happenings and emotions of the past without actually having the past events as on-page content.

💫 I've loved reading about dragons and their riders ever since I read Eragon as a teenaged, AND, this book delivers on this aspect SO WELL 😭

💫 Aand last but not least --- we have a demi MC! And a sapphic MC! And two very cute enemies ish to lovers romance subplots 😭

TWs - war, PTSD from war, violence, death, mass death during war

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I absolutely adore this story and I am so grateful to have received this arc. The bonds between sisters, friendships, and love is so beautifully done and so well written. The world building and magic system explanation was well executed, unlike other “first books” in a series it didn’t leave me feeling lost or overwhelmed with new terms or theories. I also loveeee dragons so reading this while reading fourth wing made me so happy. It’s so cool and special how the souls are bounded between riders and dragons! The slow burn romance and the ending left me hooked and excitedly waiting for more. I can’t wait for this book to come out so that I can own a physical copy and I also can’t wait to further explore this world and to know what happens next! Kamilah Cole you did an excellent job writing this story 🥹💕🐉