Like Tamora Pierce's Tortall series but with Adult themes. From the moment the book started, I was hooked! The world building is exquisite and the characters are so fleshed out. The multiple POVs really give you perspective on the different struggles faces by each of the characters.

Audrey is absolutely compelling as a woman trapped in a patriarchal system but destined for more. Isolde is a pillar of strength and knowledge, training Audrey to be strong and survive. Sir Chey was an unexpected surprise as he came to understand and admire Audrey. Tomas, oh Tomas 🥰 such a noble heart for a common man. He is so sweet and only wants the best for Audrey

This follows a woman trapped inside a system designed to control her, and it focuses on the daily cost of that control. The resistance reads practical rather than flashy. I liked how the story builds an entire system of control and then shows the small, practical ways women resist it. Training drills, kitchen whispers, and coded errands move the story as much as the big confrontations. The blood bond sets real limits that force choices, and the magic stays readable in both quiet scenes and fights. I liked the way the book builds rules that show up when it counts. You can feel the difference between what the bond allows in public, what it restricts in combat, and how it shapes private moments. The found team works because each person brings a concrete skill and pushes back when plans do not make sense. Dialogues are purposeful, and the group’s trust develops through shared work, not speeches. The romance is a slow burn that grows out of accountability and small acts of care. When lines are crossed, the story shows the fallout, then uses it to change how the characters act. By the last act, the political stakes and the personal stakes lock together, and the choices land like the natural result of what came before.

I did hit a few slower patches in the middle where arguments about risk and loyalty repeat. The tradeoff is density. The worldbuilding is heavy in the first half and some terms land before there’s enough context. Two travel sections run the same arrive, recon, retreat pattern without adding new information. I also wanted two quick pieces of early context to sharpen the stakes. First, a simple look at how ordinary families navigate the locways on a normal day. Second, a short example of how the bond’s limits work outside combat so later scenes do not have to pause to explain. Even with those bumps, the momentum recovers, and the ending answers the core question while setting a clear path for what comes next. Spice level is moderate and tied to character beats, not dropped in for shock. Violence is present but not graphic.