2.5★

jade fire gold promises an unforgettable adventure weaving together elements of forbidden magic, enemies-to-lovers zutara-style romance, and enchanting chinese folklore.

once again, a disappointing new highly anticipated release :/

this book was barely enjoyable until the ending at the 80% mark or so, and even then it didn't deliver like it should've. i didn't care for the characters; they felt generic and surface-level, almost forced to fit in the vessel that the author portrayed for them—if that makes sense. we spend most of the book building up for the plot, in painfully dragging pace, for conflicts that felt irrelevant and detached. and they get resolved in a less than satisfying way, which left me feeling deflated. this could be because of my indifference to the characters and the unconvincing stakes, but i also find the execution of the grand pitches that were made for this book very poor.

however, i enjoyed the writing and the world-building laced with chinese folklore. (i have seen ownvoices reviewers comment on the rep, but i can't speak on that myself.)


content warning: self-harm (gouging, eye horror; non-graphic), child abuse (physical, verbal, emotional manipulation/gaslighting), parent death (implied, off-page), character deaths, mentions and descriptions of fantasy/magical violence (blood, war, political violence), mentions and descriptions of physical symptoms that might be triggering to those with emetophobia, alcohol consumption. — as listed by the author here: https://www.junecltan.com/content-warnings.

— thank you to harper collins for providing me with the digital arc via netgalley and edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.

I am gutted this is a standalone!!! I can’t wait to read more from this author, their debut novel was a knock out! We need more East Asian stories like this in the book world, and it’s one I’ll be recommending for a long time to come!

All my best regards to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this e-ARC of this book.

If this trend of my-most-anticipated-releases-are-all-disappointing continues, I will never read a new release again

What is this book about?

Ahn, a girl living with her sick grandmother is a desert village has no future. Poor, she must steal to pay for Ama's medicine. She is also hiding a secret of which she is a Tiensai - people who dark magic hunted by the empire's priests. One day, a shocking event finally revealed her true destiny.

Altan, the lost heir to the throne whose family was murdered. He built up his plan to take back what is rightfully his - the throne and seek revenge on the emperor's murderer. When Altan met Ahn, he saw his chance to seek vengeance.

My thoughts:

I shall forever rest in the hole of disappointment. This book didn't live up to a single ounce of my expectations. I didn't like anything until the 70% mark of the book. The plot-building dragged way too long for such simple conflicts. The supposed "tension" between Ahn and Altan doesn't build up until it appeared out of nowhere. It fell flat and irrelevant
However, there are also positive points in this book. I love the world building and the magic system. The writing is very gorgeous and lyrical. Like I said, I am not attached to Ahn and Altan, but that ending absolutely wrecked me and ultimately elevates this book to a 2.25/5 instead of a 1.5/5.

Overall, this was a huge deception for me, however I am quite interested in what June C.L. Tan has to offer next

Check out the author's gorgeous web page dedicated to this book https://www.junecltan.com/jadefiregold

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Pre-reading thoughts

If this turns out to be disappointing it would be the end of me.

Find me on Instagram @irisdescenes or @delilahfcirchild

*I received this ARC via @netgalley for an honest review*
This book was an amazing ride! It is an amazing blend of Chinese mythology in a political fantasy setting.

In this world magic is either controlled or eliminated by the empire. The terrifying Diyeh priests burn anyone found with magical abilities (Tiensai).

We follow two main POVs:
Ahn is a fugitive living with her grandmother trying to keep them alive in the desert.
Altan is the missing rightful heir to the Empire. Everyone thinks he is dead. While he is waiting for vengeance. His plan to take back the throne involves believing in the old tales of the "Life Steeler". This magic wielder is believed to take peoples lives (death magic) and the only one who can find the Jade sword. This sword will help him take his throne but it means that he has to kill the Life Stealer. In order to do that he has to hunt a mythical beast that will grant him his wish to be untouchable to the life stealer. And it is amazing!!
I loved the world building and quest elements in the story. The characters are nice, but the side characters are so much fun!! I love the team up of Ahn and Altan and was not disturbed by the romance development halfway through the story.
The writing style was lyrical but also very fast paced which was perfect. The ending did feel a bit rushed and honestly this needs to be a series because OMG THAT ENDING?! HELL YESS🔥

Thanks again to @hodderstoughton
and netgalley. Please pick it up next month you will not regret it.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

I have to say, I was actually really disappointed with Jade Fire Gold. It felt samey in its plot and was rather limited in its exploration of the mythical background. I didn't really feel the chemistry between any of the characters and felt like there was a lot of unused potential by the end.

The story starts off well enough (samey, like I said) but this pivotal quest for the sword only takes place right at the end and is over pretty quickly. At the centre of it, our protagonist (co-protagonist?) Ahn is actually really passive, and everything happens so easily for her. The book is a lot of talking about how important doing something is, and then the group immediately succeed in doing it, with Ahn taking very little part in the actual realisation of the goal.

Our other co-protagonist, Altan, begins as the typical brooding warrior but becomes a complete soppy mess once he falls for Ahn. I felt he, in general, wasn't very consistent, including at the end when he's suddenly mischievous and friendly because he gets what he wants - I just couldn't really buy into it.

I was umming and ahhing as to whether to include this in my review because it's probably on me for misunderstanding, but it's quite amusing - I was convinced for ages that Ahn was the lost sister Altan kept going on about. I mean, they made a really big deal about Altan's sister being dead, to the point it was obvious she wasn't, and that she'd disappeared in the desert - exactly where Ahn remembers emerging from. It made everything that come afterwards between them really quite awkward and just sort of disappeared from the narrative until I got (thankfully) proven wrong at the end. It may have a big part in why I wasn't totally involved with the narrative.

Jade Fire Gold is a perfectly readable, reasonably enjoyable book, but I've read other very similar stories that pull it off better - I always feel mean when that's my main criticism of a book, but I do think it's valid.

Jade Fire Gold hooked me from the very first page. I loved the vivid world and the mythology woven through it, the accessible and cinematic writing, and the twists and turns the story took. This is a firm favourite of the year and will definitely be in my top reads of 2021.

‘History is never written by its victims.’

I loved so many things about this book, but my absolute favourite were the characters. They all had really distinct personalities and a backstory that truly shaped them.
We follow the POV of the main characters Ahn and Altan; with 4 major side characters (Leiye, Tang Wei, Tai Shun and Linxi), and several minor side characters.
Occasionally you read a book where the whole cast just ‘fit’ and bounce off each other, this was the case here.
There wasn’t a single relationship dynamic between any of these characters I didn’t enjoy reading. The dialogue was sharp, witty, sarcastic and humorous. It made you feel like you were in on everyone’s inside jokes. I was constantly looking forward to different characters meeting each other throughout the book just so I could see how they’d interact.
Leiye, Tang Wei and Tai Shun are my favourites. I’m a sucker for broody mystery men, badass lesbian assassins and absolute cinnamon rolls, respectively.

I also want to highlight Altan and Tang Wei’s friendship. It’s not often we get a great male/female platonic relationship, and this one was done so well! I loved their back and forth banter and backhanded way of looking out for each other.

The trauma and PTSD representation in this book hit me hard. I feel like it was portrayed really well and the thoughts/emotions just leapt off the page. I loved seeing these character’s develop throughout the story.

“But even in the deepest night, the stars continue to shine.”

I really enjoyed being in this world, it felt nostalgic to me for a reason I can’t quite pinpoint. The descriptions of the palace and festivals in particular were gorgeous- and the food!
The Soul Beast scenes have to be some of the most cinematic I’ve ever read, and they were among my favourite parts of the book.

Jade Fire Gold definitely works as a standalone, but there’s so much more to explore in this world! There are characters I’d love to delve further into, a particular character’s backstory I’m dying to hear about, and after that epilogue… I need to know the fate of what’s to come. I truly hope we get to see a sequel/companion novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jade Fire Gold is written from two perspectives. Altan is the lost heir of the Empire's stolen throne, seeking vengeance for his family's deaths, and Ahn is an orphaned girl with forbidden magic she doesn't understand the true significance of, who starts out the book only wanting to survive but quickly becomes embroiled in the wider plot.

Ahn was a great protagonist, her personal conflicts layered throughout the story - family, duty, fate, magic and friends all mixed up in there - while she never loses the scrappy determination and sass she had at the beginning. I was definitely rooting for her the whole way through. Unfortunately, I never quite connected with Altan in the same way; he seemed a little one-dimensional and his growth or change of heart along the way never felt solid enough to me. I was far more interested in Leiye, one of the side characters, but though he was complex, clever and interesting, I feel like we never really got to the bottom of what his motivations were and I would have loved to see more of him. A lot of the other side characters had potential but needed to be more fleshed out.

The worldbuilding was well done, enough detail to give a vivid picture of the world without getting bogged down in it, and it really drove home the desperation of an Empire and everyone in it facing its own destruction from the spreading desert and its internal politics. I read that June Tan wanted to capture some of the feel of wuxia films in her writing and that definitely worked well, the mix of Chinese mythology and martial arts with the beautiful description were some of the best scenes in the book. I liked the way the story touched on how 'history' can be deceiving when it's written from the winning side's perspective, but again I felt there needed to be a little more bite to it.

Overall a solid and entertaining YA fantasy, and worth the read.

I'm really grateful to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this arc via NetGalley. Looks as though I am guaranteed a few copies of this book through my various subscriptions!
We travel through this book from Ahn and Altan's perspectives. Ahn is a supposedly orphaned girl with magic in her veins that must be hidden at all costs. Altan is an orphaned royal, hiding from his families' murderers whilst he plots his revenge. Their paths could never have crossed yet they are linked by a greater purpose. It's not going out on a limb in terms of YA fantasy but you don't fix what ain't broke!
Ahn is a fantastic character to follow, she has little ambition from the beginning which I find is somewhat relatable when you first step in to a book where you know nothing about the setting. She wants to know who she is, her Ama to be healthy and her belly to be full. Perhaps leaving the damn desert too. Simple things. She has a magical gift very unexplored in the beginning which also adds to the developing of her character throughout. She's somewhat naïve which can be irritating from time to time but then the book would have been over far too quickly!
Altan is more sure of himself, or so he thinks. The would-be emperor that was ousted from the throne has a plan to return to his birth right. He is skilled in both combat and his own magical abilities. He's quite bitter, stubborn and generally a little stiff for my liking. The set up as a character is great though.
The Asian setting is one I seem to be getting swamped by in 2021 but I am yet to be fed up of it. It provides for a range of settings such as desert, ocean, forests etc. The mythology is also somewhat of a mystery to me so I can't comment on how much of it is inspired by or lifted from it. It allows for a nice way to bring in the fantasy element including magic by our characters and creatures making an appearance. It's not overkill but well placed in the setting with good contributions to the plot.
We've got a range of characters in both strong and manipulative men and women. Individuals with scarring and disabilities as well as LGBTQ+ relationships. A snarky and fun female assassin, a drunk yet humble emperor and comforting old lady. I can't go in to too much detail without spoilers.
I really like the writing style. It was simple enough to read easily but not so much that it became juvenile. Nothing made me think the author was trying to had and there was a good balance of description, plot and dialogue.
It occurred to me as I was reading that whilst there was plenty of action happening the actual plot was moving relatively slow and that this must mean the book was going to be a series. Alas, the story wrapped itself up quite quickly in the last 120 pages or so. This made the previous parts of the book feel even slower in comparison. Feels like some re-jigging could have fixed that and some of the really entertaining bits towards the end could have been extended.
So, we have some romance. If you are expecting to be swooned you will be disappointed. The romance was lacking actual emotion and feeling. It was all snarky remarks, annoyed glances and avoiding each other. It was so frustrating and towards the end had me questioning how any kind of relationship could come from it.
That epilogue though, damn! I'm gonna need that character to come with their own novel and I shall be there for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Ahn is no one, with no past and no family. Altan is a lost heir, his future stolen away as a child. When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn a path to reclaiming the throne. Ahn sees a way to finally unlock her past and understand her arcane magical abilities. But they may have to pay a far deadlier price than either could have imagined.

I liked how Ahn was very focused on the wellbeing of others over herself, her caring nature despite her circumstances is commendable. Breaking the “chosen one” stereotype, she does her best to forge her own way in life whilst also clinging to the scraps of her past. I do feel we could have delved more into her past, about how she came to be away from her parents and grow up in the desert. However, seeing her vulnerabilities and fears about discovering her past and dealing with repercussions made her rather relatable.
Altan is a young man on a mission of revenge against the world, against his traitorous family, and against the Life Stealer. He has quite a few good moments, the interactions with his friends are quite heartening. However, I feel like halfway through the book, all motives he stuck by from the offset seem to melt away. Now, I’m all for a good love story that sees someone changing for the one they desire, but Altan just felt... off. It’s like suddenly he didn’t want to pursue vengeance, but then would mention it every so often and show his desire to see it through, then would seemingly forget all about it again. Overall, he seems like a character that’s quite likeable but I think the execution of him is missing something.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it seemed to just miss the mark. The time jumps are rather confusing - they’re suddenly mentioned and I feel like I’m skipping over scenes and missing vital information. It meant that as the book went on, I found myself sadly becoming less interested because events were popping up days or weeks after the previous one without warning. It made for a confusing story at times. The romance was off too. One moment there are no feelings, next moment they’re deciding they feel love? It didn’t make sense in my mind for such emotions to just pop up. That links into the time jumps - whilst the story must progress, it needs to be seamless. Very sadly, this story had a lot of bumps in the road which slowed me down and it took longer than expected to read. I don’t know if this is a standalone (which is how I perceived it) or if there is more to come based of what the epilogue suggests. Either way, I don’t think I’d read more of this story as I feel this book has covered it plenty - I’m not sure where else it could go, if I’m perfectly honest.

Overall, Jade Fire Gold is a book that is surely to be a hit for many, though it sadly didn’t get there for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

So many people have compared this to Avatar the last Airbender, and it actually put me off reading this book for a long while. And whilst I didn't hate this book, I also didn't love it, but I think that was solely because of the fact that I had the idea in my mind that it was ATLA.

The characters were okayy, and the pacing was decent until the last maybe 15%? I felt like it was so rushed in order to make this a standalone, when it really could have slowed down for a second novel. The epilogue gave me the feeling that there might be potential to write a companion novel or something, so maybe the last part of the book could be explored in more depth.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange of a honest review!

Jade Fire Gold was one of my most anticipated books of 2021, and I was SO HAPPY when I got the e-ARC. As expected, I fell in love with all of the characters, and the plot was so intriguing. Even though it's a well known "formula" from YA novels, the author surprised me and kept me hooked.

I love the writing style, and the worldbuilding feels so unique. I also loved the first person POV from both our main characters, Altan and Ahn. It made it easier to understand their feelings, and, damn, they have tons of that (especially Altan. this boy needs a hug.) The chapters were short, but they didn't feel unfinished, and the development both characters go through is perfectly shown on page.

However, I feel like this book could've been longer. I understand this is June's debut novel, but the choice of making it standalone (for now) implied that mostly everything should be wrapped up by the end of the book, and it was! But, to me, the last 5% of JFG felt very rushed. I was LOVING the book until 95%. And maybe it's a different type of narrative (the author said it has elements of Chinese genres) than what I'm used to, because I've seen so many people loving it, but I finished it feeling a bit disappointed; not with the ending itself, but with the pacing and lack of a longer climax.

The characters were definitely the highest point of the book to me. Even though the book itself focus a lot on the plot, Altan and Ahn's development was chef's kiss. Altan does read a lot like our dear Prince Zuko from books 2 and 3 of ATLA: grumpy, brooding, filled with fire and desire to prove himself, and, then, to change things. I couldn't love him more. Ahn is my baby. She's not super motherly like Katara, but she cares so so much. And the cast of side characters!!!!!!!!! Good Lord they are my absolute favorites. Tang Wei and her sassiness? Linxi being kind, helpful, yet fierce in her own way? My badass queens. Tai Shun is just so soft, and I need to protect him at all costs. And Leiye, the hot and mysterious priest..... oh, Leiye, I love you so much. Oh, and in my opinion, none of them are straight (the text itself supports it and I'll die on this hill)

The epilogue definitely left open the possibility of a sequel, or a companion novel. I gotta say that I NEED IT. Desperately. I just love these characters so much, and the ending didn't gave me enough of what they could become. I NEED MORE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Jade Fire Gold is a story inspired by Chinese mythology about Ahn, a fugitive trying to get the money to feed her and her grandmother, and Atlan, the rightful heir to the Dragon Throne who everyone believes died years ago.

The book started of strong, right from the very first page, grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go until I finished this! I absolutely loved every second of reading this book and honestly can’t wait for the final copy to be on my shelves once it comes out! It was one of my most anticipated releases this year and didn’t disappoint!

The setting and world-building were written in a way that they seemed so vivid to me, I could clearly picture it all. The Chinese mythology blended so well with the political scheming and the fantasy setting. The magic system created, while not super unique, fitted perfectly and was very easy to understand.

The plot written was really good! It was written in a way that kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. It was fast paced, but not in a way that seemed hurried. It had the perfect balance between the action paced scenes and the journeying scenes. The twist were ones that I didn’t see coming and they left me gasping in shock! Just the way I like best when twists are revealed in books.

I loved the group of characters we meet in this book! Ahn, a peasant girl who would do anything to save her grandmother. I loved reading how she grew from someone who knew almost nothing to someone who grows into her power and accepts herself. She was very likeable and sometimes did some questionable thing, but then I remembered she was 16. Atlan, the prince out for vengeance reminded me a lot of Zuko from Avatar! He would do anything to right what was done to his family and his resolve and determination were inspiring. Also, his dynamics with Ahn, the constant bickering, I was there for it! The side characters all were amazing on their own. Tang Wei was such a sarcastic fun person, Tai Shun was super likable and I wanted to give him the world. Linxi and Leiye were amazing in their own. All the characters really found each other and complemented each other’s personalities. Their relationships developed into a found family, and I loved it.

The prologue written has me really hopeful for a sequel or short story/novella to be released sometime in the future! I truly want to go back to these amazing characters, I’m not ready to say goodbye to them yet!

Overall, an amazing book with a great blend of Chinese mythology, a gorgeous setting and wonderful character.

JADE FIRE GOLD was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I’m so glad I got an ARC of it.

This story is so, so gorgeously written. Each character is beautifully fleshed out, and every twist and turn was unpredictable. There were certainly heart-wrenching moments in here too, and I found myself gasping at the ending—it’s a good one! That cliffhanger though!

I can’t wait to gift a copy of this book to a friend. It’s a story that will stay with you long after you first experience it.

This was compared to <i>Avatar the last Airbender</i> in the summary which gave me very high expectations for this one. Sadly, the book didn't measure up.

After the royal family was usurped and killed, Prince Altan fled from the palace and swore to avenge his family. For that, he needs the Life Stealer, a dark magician. Anh is just caring for her grandmother and has magic powers she doesn't want and which are outlawed besides. When their paths cross, they set out to find to magic swords to change the fate of their country.

Now, <i>Jade Fire Gold</i> is an oddly paced book. It starts out setting up the plot and then meanders for quite a while. The search for the magic swords, which was supposed to be extremely important only began in the second half of the book. The main characters also only properly met in the second half of the book which I found very odd. Moreover, the author bit off more than she could chew here - she tried to introduce a royal court and its intrigues as well as a quest storyine and both feel somewhat lacking as a result. I would have preferred to only have a quest story as it was the more interesting part of the book.

Your enjoyment of the book will also largely depend on your enjoyment of the main relationship between Anh and Altan. I for one, found the two main characters rather flat and they didn't have any chemistry. This got compared to a Zuko and Katara relationship and I honestly don't see it except for the obvious parallel of one being an exiled prince and the other having elemental magic. It did not have any of the depth that its inspiration had.

Anh especially felt very much like a typical YA heroine to me and was mostly passive throughout the story. The narration of both characters was also largely written in the same style, which made it hard for me to picture them. The worldbuilding was also of no consequence, it didn't feel very fleshed out. None of it was very memorable to me. The prose is YA level and a bit awkward at times.

All in all, the book just didn't work for me and I gave <i>Jade Fire Gold</i> 2/5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book, unlike with some fantasy books it felt easy to read and understand and I ended up flying through it! The plot was interesting and engaging and I really liked the characters and the romance within this book, although there were so many moments when I thought we were going to get a big romantic reunion or revelation and it never came which let it down a bit (that’s just me though, if you’re not as into the romance plot as I am it most likely won’t bother you!). I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy!

Her destiny. His revenge.

In an empire on the brink of war . . .

Ahn has no past and no family. Altan had his future stolen from him as the rightful heir to the Dragon Throne. When they meet, Altan sees in Ahn his opportunity to regain the throne and Ahn sees a way of finding out about her past, her family and understanding the truth about her magical abilities.

Jade Fire Gold is a captivating debut YA novel by June CL Tan. It is the perfect mixture of fantasy and Chinese mythology and folklore. Tan succeeds in building a world full of magic, interesting characters while looking at themes such as friendship, loyalty, family. Told from two POVs, I loved the development of the relationship between Altan and Ahn, which builds slowly into a romance throughout the book (sometimes I would have liked the pace to be a wee bit faster!). The focus of the book is on how these two young people struggle to deal with the weight of the legacies that they have inherited and Tan immerses us into this story beautifully throughout. They are both struggling with the trauma of loss but also have to learn about how to forgive, to live their own lives and find their place in the world. There are characters from all different groups and classes in this story which adds an interesting dimension to the story (I loved Tang Wei, Altan’s friend and a member of the Lotus Sect of female assassins- she’s feisty and has a wicked sense of humour!).

One of my favourite elements within the book is the way Tan brings the world of her characters to life. The description of the palace in particular but also the starkness of the desert that features predominantly throughout the book is so vivid that you feel that you are transported there by the author.

Inspired by the genres of xianxia and wuxia along with Avatar: The Last Airbender, Jade Fire Gold is sure to be a huge hit with the YA and adult audiences alike. The book ends with a big revelation so I am really hoping that Tan will write a sequel to Jade Fire Gold to extend the epic world of the Shi Empire. I am always interested in reading books which focus on other cultures and traditions and really enjoyed finding out more about aspects of Chinese mythology and folklore in this book.

Jade Fire Gold will be published on the 4th of November. Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One of the best fantasy books that I have read this year. I was hooked from page 1 and the author didn't let me go until the last word.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me a early copy of this book.

I had heard so many good things about this book and I went in completely blind but damn! This book really packs a punch 😎 I loved every element to this book it was action packed but still kept a fascinating story throughout!

I would 100% recommend this book and I think it is a real treasure of the 2021 literary scene.

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

If you’re looking for a book that blends Chinese mythology with a fantasy setting and politics, that displays truly under-represented characters, then this is the book for you.

Set in a world where magic is controlled by the empire and illegal magic users are hunted down, Ahn lives a life of poverty and struggle to support her grandmother, whilst hiding her own secret.

Altan is dead, as far as the empire is concerned and lives his life hunting for the ‘Life Stealer’ to claim his throne and get vengeance on his enemies.

Altan and Ahn’s relationship starts from a low point and takes many a twist and turn, with a few events along the way, but ultimately it is up to them to decide if they can trust one another.

The world building and magic system in this book are cohesive and well developed, there are some great action scenes and a lot to keep you on your toes. All of this makes this book a fast read, once I’d started, I definitely didn’t want to put it down.

And of course, there’s the epilogue…just when I thought I could breathe!

without a doubt, jade fire gold was an amazing read.
the author did such a good job creating gorgeous characters and even better world-building. it is slow paced but the impeccable world building kept me engaged at all times. and did i mention the stunning writing in this book? absolutely INCREDIBLE. the characters were also developed pretty well. special shoutout to my girl tang wei, AN ABSOLUTE QUEEN. i loved the plot and i got the hang of the world pretty quickly; there's also a glossary at the end which helps. also, the first half of the book gave me STRONG shadow & bone vibes so if you liked that you should try reading this!!

HOWEVERRR, the romance fell flat for me. the feelings between the protagonists felt rushed and undeveloped. as much as i hate to say it, it almost felt like insta love. i also went into the book knowing that the male mc wants to kill the female mc (this is not a spoiler, it's on the author's website, DONT WORRY), so i expected more tension between them but it was essentially non-existent. but this didn't take away from the experience of the book because it didn't feel like a major aspect of the story.

overall, i had a great time reading this
so what are you waiting for? PUT THIS ON YOUR TBR RN AND READ IT AS SOON AS IT RELEASES

thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending an e-arc via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review