6/5 stars, I cannot give it enough praise.
I went into this book as just another read, it sounded super cool and I was there for it. I did not expect it to have such long lasting effects as it has. I am still thinking about this book and still obsessing over it months later because I have not been able to shake it.
Ironically enough, I started this book while trying to get over a book hangover from my previous read and struggling to find anything that compared. I came out of this book with a much worse hangover and struggled even more afterwards to like anything else. Success?
Leina is the kind of heroine that I adored. She is flawed in the most human, relatable way and I loved her all the more for this. She’s hot-tempered, unafraid to fight for what she believes in and stand up for the oppressed. It was impossible not to admire her and root for her from the very start and I was so eager to see where her story would go with the revelations we are quickly introduced to about what she is and what this means. I also loved so much that her weapon became her scythe, a tool she had been using her whole life to farm and was therefore intimately familiar with. It’s a tool one wouldn’t necessarily expect to be a weapon, but it is so perfect as her bonded weapon and I thought this was such a nice tough in her always having something of where she came from with her.
Ryot, another main character, was a bit more of a slow burn for me, and not in a bad way at all. I definitely liked him, he was a mysterious character, often infuriating to Leina and they had such awesome chemistry in every scene, whether that was filled with hatred on Leina’s part, or the slow bonding that they formed as they got to know one another and trust each other. It wasn’t until later in the book when I had learned more about him and his background that I truly loved him as a character and was so concerned for his well-being. In this way it felt like my opinion of him grew along with Leina’s and it felt so fitting for the book. These aren’t the only characters who are notable, there are many more minor that were also standout and grew on me as I read, and it’s a testament to how well these characters were written that I was so invested in their survival in such a dangerous world.
Which brings me to the world itself. The world-building is steady throughout the book and had me so immersed in the world and learning more of it. From the unfair way Leina’s people are ruled over, to the rebels trying to fight this though there is much more to learn on this topic I feel going forward, to the divine warriors who Leina ends up joining to train with and their flying companions who were the star of the show among many others. The gods are deeply intriguing, and I loved learning about them, and the interactions Leina herself has with them that marks her as someone special. Particularly intriguing is the world they live in and the way their world effects humans – not good – limiting their exposure to the gods as they cannot withstand their environment. I could hype on about so much but suffice it to say I was enthralled by this world and I can’t wait to learn more.
This was all a long-winded way of saying I loved this book, so much so that it’s difficult to narrow it down to what I adored so much and why. I can only recommend that it is a must read and I’m fairly certain it is only going to get better from this debut book. The ending left so many questions and some difficult revelations that made it an agonizing place to stop at, and I cannot wait for the next book because I am beside myself waiting to find out what is next.
