Okay so I actually am speechless. Not many books have me immersed and on the edge of my seat, but this one tossed me in and I was in for a WILD ride. Unputdownable. Truly. Holy cliffhanger though.

Let's get down to brass tacks... Niamh is a blacksmith in all but name, daughter of a blacksmith and in the shadow of her brother, Finn. She lives in a small village in a rainy, damp kingdom fearful of magic and in the midst of a bloody and violent war between the king, who abhors magic, and his sister Regina, who is a powerful witch. Can you guess which side is losing?

Anyone caught practicing magic will be put to DEATH, hanged along with their entire family. The lord of the Wetlands does not mess around. There's just one small problem... Niamh is a witch. And her best friend is his daughter.

When Niamh's secret is revealed, she has to leave town in a hurry. She takes Finn's name and cuts off her hair, but when she tries to pass a checkpoint she's stopped since Finn has been conscripted to the front lines of that war we talked about earlier... such ensues NUCLEAR levels of Mulan-type yearning... I have chills just thinking about it.

As Niamh navigates who to trust with her secret(s), she gets closer to another fellow soldier, and the relationship they develop threatens to expose her secret. She also has undeniable connections to the King's bastard and her "liege" and commander at the front lines, Fitzroy.

The slow burn slow burned. The character development and pacing was chef's kiss. The world was well-thought out with interesting magic system and Niamh felt so genuine and brave. I adored her and I prefer that to be the case in such an intimate first person POV as this. Veryyy similar in terms of Fourth Wing or ACOTAR as she is younger but has the heart of a lion. Also no weird age gaps like these genres love to have. READ THIS BOOK!

Tropes I loved:
Mulan (gender is a secret)
Beloved and fierce animal familiar from the get-go
Yearning/forbidden romance

1.5 🌶️ but def in the romantasy /NA category.

Reign surprised me in the best way. What stood out immediately was Croome’s ability to balance emotional depth with a sharp, engaging narrative voice. The protagonist’s arc felt fully realized,,her internal conflicts were layered, believable, and rooted in themes that resonate strongly with contemporary readers: identity, ambition, and the cost of reinvention. I especially appreciated how the story never relied on melodrama; instead, it built tension through character-driven choices that felt earned.

The pacing is steady! 10/10

This was such a good book!! The themes in this book were all ones I enjoy strong female characters, cross dressing to protect identity, sisterhood, folklore accurate magical beasts and the list goes on!!!
This story gives medieval English Mulan vibes and I’m all for it! The characters were well developed and we got to know them on a personal level.
The slow burn love triangle was absolutely perfect! I don’t always enjoy a love triangle as I find the bouncing back and forth annoying. However, this love triangle was well written and felt natural not forced. The magic language was a special bonus about this book that I found really cool! I can wait for the next book and find out what happens next!

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say. This was leaving me on edge and loved all the twists and turns in this story so much. 5/5 stars for me

I loved this book so much ❤️ definitely recommend it very good story 😊 so glad I got the chance to experience this wonderful masterpiece

This book was so fun and magic. I highly recommend it to all my fantasy lovers and I cannot wait to get a hand my hands on a physical copy on the release date.