An interesting setting. It took a short while to get into it and to warm up to the characters but once I did, I was gripped by them. I absolutely loved that it didn't end the way I thought it would.

Firstly, thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!
Rivennia sets out with such an intriguing premise and wasn't shy about its ambition. The world is thoughtfully constructed, layered with political tension, secretive power structures, and ethical questions that hint at a much larger story unfolding beneath the surface.

The start had me guessing, I genuinely wasn’t sure where everything was heading. While the premise itself is compelling, the execution didn’t always land in the early chapters. The pacing I thought got good about 30% in. I appreciated the use of multiple POV's in bringing different story lines together for the plot, however at a point the frequent shifts in perspective also made it difficult at times to connect with the characters, and I occasionally had to double check whose POV I was reading. It kind of blended in (I think at the introduction of the dinner and the game of wagers)

Even so, it honestly was a good read with a lot to admire of Jaime Urencios' world. If you enjoy politically charged, genre blending fantasy with dystopian hints you will likely find a lot to appreciate. Rivennia shows a strong foundation and an author with interesting ideas, and I’ll be recommending it to my book club once it’s released as the premise alone makes for an interesting discussion.