What a great debut! 4,25⭐️

The book takes us to a kingdom on the brink of bankruptcy and follows three very different protagonists who are all trying to take advantage of this crisis for themselves or the people. It is never quite clear who you are supposed to be rooting for. Each character pursues a goal, but fails again and again, whether out of naivety, arrogance or simply because they lack the knowledge to really understand the complex situation. This is what makes the story so exciting, because you root for them, hope that they will recognise their mistakes and learn from them, and yet everything only becomes more complicated.

I found it particularly interesting how the changing perspectives on the same situation create an incredibly multi-layered picture. This keeps the plot in constant motion and makes it feel very lively. And even if I didn't like every character straight away, I grew fond of some of them over time.

Of course, it all ends with a dramatic cliffhanger, leaving many questions unanswered, and I'm very curious to see what happens in the next book.

Also: we love maps, and this book has not one but two!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Some books ask for your attention. This one demands your involvement.

W.G. Finch drops us into a fractured world and says, “Keep up.” No prologue to hold your hand. No exposition-dump to catch you up. Just a revolutionary trying to light the match, a mobster looking for a way out, and a prince who thinks he can save what’s already burning. They each want something—freedom, redemption, control—and the cost is steep. The payoff is brutal.

The writing is intelligent without being showy. Atmospheric, grounded, deliberate. And yet somehow—still alive. The dialogue snaps. The politics bleed into the personal. The setting drips with tension, like something holy rotting from the inside out. Every corner of this world feels thought through, even when we’re only given a glimpse.

What I loved most? Nobody is safe. Not physically. Not morally. No one comes out clean. You’ll trust someone and regret it three chapters later. You’ll question motives, loyalty, and yourself. There’s something thrilling about watching it all fall apart, not because of evil, but because of belief. Everyone here is certain they’re doing what’s right—and that’s where it breaks.

If you’re looking for cozy, skip this. If you’re looking for a ride that spirals out before it makes sense, but keeps you hooked the whole way—this is it. If book two doesn’t deliver, I’ll riot. But if it does, we might be looking at a modern epic in the making.

Bonus points for including maps (because I still don’t know where I am emotionally, but at least I can trace it on paper).