I’m in my lady knight era!

We follow our fmc Grey who is the hand to her mage, our mmc Kier. They are tasked with delivering a girl who claims to be the heir of Locke, and from this we follow their journey and the truths that are discovered along the way. Grey and Kiers relationship we see from the start is very close, and I liked following their relationship as it developed into more and how much they would sacrifice for one another. There was plenty of action, and I liked the magic system of mages being able to draw from their wells / hands.

There’s love, sacrifice, politics, not overly complicated magic system, rich world building, an easy to follow plot and I found myself not wanting to put the book down as I was so invested in the story.

I liked that this read as a standalone, but I’m also intrigued as to what will happen with the next book as you are left with a completed story so the possibility’s are endless for what could take place in the next book.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book is fantastic: the magic system, the friends to lovers, the lady knight (I love lady knights!), the politics. It was all very tenderly written.

I truly feel like me not loving this book is a “me” problem because I cannot understand it myself!

This story took me on an emotional, devastatingly beautiful and heartfelt journey. I did not want it to end and it was so gritty and heart wrenching at times that I had tears rolling down my face.

When I’m looking for a book to read, I want something that makes me feel. And this book delivered on all fronts because my heart was racing and I could not put it down.

In this tale, we follow a heroine called Grey Flynne. She’s an unstoppable magical well, someone who feeds power to her madge (and best friend, Keir) at an unprecedented level. She’s a trained fighter and warrior, and a skilled medic.

Grey and Keir’s relationship is brimming with trust, adoration and respect. Throughout this entire story, it is abundantly clear that they are one soul cleaved into two bodies. Their relationship is heartfelt, warm and drenched with pining, tension and stolen touches.

I’ve never read the friends to lovers trope so perfectly executed before. The story shows you how deep their connection is, how explicitly they trust each other with every fibre of their being and how they would lay down their lives to protect each other.

The world building was phenomenal, the side-characters were astounding and the LGBTQ+ representation was flawlessly sprinkled throughout each chapter. This story is set in a queer-normative world and is presented with such care and respect.

Without giving too much away; the isle of Locke was once the root of all magic. Supplying the surrounding nations with an abundance of power so they could continue to thrive and grow. Until one evening, sixteen years prior; Locke detonates and disappears into the nothingness with no warning or explanation, only a singular letter from Severin Locke (the heir to the isle), stating that he is alive and not to look for him.

This book was a wild, wild ride and I am blown away by the rollercoaster of emotions I felt whilst reading it. The court politics, the romance and the mystery and secrecy surrounding Grey’s past were so intriguing and well written, I wanted the book to be at least 100 chapters longer just so I could remain in this world.

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Lady knight
Slow burn
Found family
Queer-Normative world

This e-arc was given to me by Netgalley and LittleBrownBookGroup in return for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Don't look at me and my criminally low rating for this book, because I'm the problem here, probably. I'm on a mission to read all the lady knight books that are brought to us this year and I already got to five or six vastly different stories, but this one didn't work for me at all. At first I wanted to rate it 3 stars, but I actually can't think of a single thing that I truly liked in here. (Also, there's very little lady-knighting and maybe I had the wrong expectations regarding that in general, but the cover just screams lady knight in my opinion.)

Grey is the hand to her childhood best friend and mage Kier, meaning that she protects him with her life and that she serves as the source of his magic. They are basically part of the military and live in an unstable land at war. Peace can only be brought by the lost heir of Locke, but no one knows who they are or if they are still alive at all. Grey and Kier get involved in the whole lost-heir situation when they are sent on a mission to escort the presumed heir. But they also know fully well that they are escorting an imposter, because Grey is the real lost heir of Locke. Not gonna lie, I was gagged by this revelation, but it literally says so in the synopsis. The plot sounds appealing when I write it out like that, but in reality nothing about this story was intriguing in any way for me:

- the characters: In one word – bland. Grey had the most potential, being a warrior and a healer and the heir, but she still didn't have an actual personality and I couldn't stand her as a protagonist. She's obsessed with Kier for some reason, a man I know like three things about. He's a mage, his brother is dead and he's dull … I mean kind.

- the romance: I saw other reviews praising the slow burn friends to lovers romance, and I'm happy that people liked it, but it was not working for me. Grey has been in love with Kier since forever and how lucky that after 15 years or so, he finally says that he loved her all along too. You may call it yearning, but I call it being in denial for no reason. They are both adults and they undoubtedly have a connection and there's a lot of physical touching before they ever get together, so what is their problem? It was also kinda criminal how the lady knight main character was not embracing in a sapphic relationship, but Grey is actually bisexual, so that did check out in the end.

- the world building: There's one big infodump in the very first chapter and it made it really hard for me to care, because the characters just sit around in tents for a long while after that. I think there's a good concept at the basis of it all with singular people representing an entire nation and them being the power source for the whole land, but it also lacked depth. The book is really heavy on the political part and nothing about that was presented in an intriguing way.

- the pacing: In the first half of the book they talk and then they walk for a sheer endless amount of pages, and then it's politics time for the whole second half of the book. The thought that this story is a trilogy is kinda outrageous to me when I think about how little substance this book actually had. A book this boring should not get a sequel, let alone two.

- the plot: I can't speak of the political stuff, because I just didn't care enough to make any notes, but the whole lost-heir situation in the beginning was so confusing to me. Apparently anyone can claim to be the heir and everyone will just believe it. Grey – an adult woman - is the actual heir, so why would anyone believe that a 15-year-old girl is the heir? I probably missed the explanation for this, but the age component of this whole situation didn't make sense to me at all. And later Kier claims to be the heir to protect Grey and that is also believed right away. Like, give me a break.

- the fantasy elements, or more so, the lack of them: There's barely any fantasy in here and when magic appears after all, it really lacks description. There's only ever talk of "the power". Grey feels the power rise inside her, and Kier uses her power, and the power has to be restored, and she called on her power, and the power exploded out of her. Do you maybe care for literally any deeper explanation? No? Well, ok then. I guess I will not care either then.

Overall, this book missed the mark in every possible way for me. Sure, I expected something else, but I still can enjoy a story even if it's different from what I thought. But what I got here was really not enjoyable for me and I will remember nothing except that it was one very boring book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK / Orbit Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of a kind. I dont know where to start. The magic system is unique and so interesting. It is like nothing I have ever read before and it pulls you in.
The pacing of the story is perfect and I would not change a thing. It is fast but not too fast, but everything is being explained without being boring.

Kier the MMC is the defintion of husband material. He would go to the ends of the world for her and if he did not find what she was looking for he would burn it for her. No MMC in the 130 books I have read over the last year can compare to this gem!

Grey the FMC has an amazing character arc and her devopment is convincing and heartbreaking at times. She absolutely does not see what every reader can see when it comes to Kier.

The side characters are also lovable and authentic and I hope that some of them will get their own stories in the same universe.

I love the chemistry between the main characters, I love the banter. I love everything about this book except for one thing which is finding another book that can at least compare a bit so I dont fall into a neverending reading slump
It is a 6 star read!

3* DNF at 28%. I will be picking this back up later just having a bad time with mental health and struggling to connect with this book right now.
That said, it's a good story, I'm interested to see what happens and how things develop. Sorry I couldn't finish it right now, I will do when I'm feeling more myself.

From the first page, the first sentence, Bovalino had me hooked. I thought to myself, as those first few words shimmered through my mind, 'this is going to be good' and I am delighted to say, I was right.

Grey Flynn is a Well, Kier Seward is her mage, together they are a fearsome, high-ranking killing machine, survivors of a war that has torn their continent apart. They fight under the banner of Scaelas, to avenge the death of Locke, the Isle from which all power stemmed, and to find its heir. But Grey and Kier have a secret, they already know where Locke's missing Princess is, and Grey is determined to keep her identity hidden. So when a young girl claims that she is Maryse of Locke, they know its a lie, they also know that this suicide mission is their best shot at freedom; retirement and a quiet life await, if they survive. Armed with years of battle experience, and a loyal cadre of friends, they set out to so their jobs, and what commences from then is a wild, twisting, emotionally devastating tale of loyalty, betrayal, sacrifice, humour, intrigue, politics, and duty.

Bovalino had crafted a story which fits, in its less than 500 pages, and entire sprawling, well conceived, realised and fleshed-out political world, and still manages to present not just compelling and human characters, but complex relationships, romance, humour, friendship, bad guys, good guys, and a whole lot of trauma. Skilfully written, brilliantly executed, and satisfyingly completed, The Second Death of Locke is the first in a series that, I suspect, will remain a genre-defining title for years to come. In an increasingly Romantasy heavy landscape, Bovalino has dared to write something which includes romance, (stirring, plot-driving, heart-aching romance,) but which has more than enough true fantasy elements to earn itself a place amongst the highest of High Fantasy novels. It is hard line to straddle, but Bovalino manages to do it with grace.

The world of The Second Death of Locke is excellently built, and subtle sense details place us in locations, without the need for heavy exposition. Both writing style and technique are strong, and this is a novel which is linguistically complex, without ever straying into unnecessarily-verbose-for-effect territory. That being said, Bovalino's strength absolutely lies in her characters. They sing off the page. Real and realised. Much like the locations, we do not get full descriptions of everyone, rather specific details are picked out, helping us to picture individuals whose souls are of far greater importance than their appearances.

I can hardly express how truly exceptional this novel was. 5 stars barely seems to cut it, but it could deserve no less than full marks. Perfection.

I’ve been lying here for 8 hours since finishing this, unable to do anything but think about these characters and wallow in my feelings. This book W R E C K E D me.

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An epic fantasy in which two codependent idiots (who are achingly devoted to one another but too stupid to realise the yearning is reciprocated) go on a quest with a group of queer knights to kidnap (adopt) a stabby child and bring her to an enemy kingdom.

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Grey and Kier’s love for one another is truly bone-deep (Grey quite literally has her hands in Kier’s chest cavity enough to draw it blind). There is this aching devotion between them that goes so far beyond friendship. They are not one without the other, and there are no lines they would not cross for one another. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book about two characters who are so intrinsically intertwined. The only couple I could compare them to is Emma and Julian from the Dark Artifices, especially in the way their romantic relationship builds. They’re childhood friends who both want more, and don’t know if the other feels the same way, but are too scared to admit their feelings and ruin what they have (idiots in love). The yearning and pining is next level. They are unhealthily attached and obsessed with one another, and I loved how the author played with this co-dependency in both their magic and relationship.

My favourite part of this book was Grey herself. I usually never find myself drawn to the main character, more so the love interest, but Grey’s character arc and story was what drove me to keep reading. She is a very angry person who has been through a hell of a lot of trauma, and keeps so much of it inside. She is strong and fearless, and although she thinks she doesn’t know how to be kind, she holds so much love and protectiveness in her heart when it comes to those she loves. And as the book progresses, we see her begrudgingly start to trust and care about this little group of queer knights.

And then you have Kier. The other half of her soul. He is incredibly charismatic, loved or hated by everyone (and sometimes far too trusting!). He treats Grey as his equal, despite her station as his hand, and he reveres her. He would follow her to the ends of the earth, and then some.

The side characters were such a joy! I haven’t felt this way about an ensemble since I read Six of Crows as a teenager. They were all written so lovingly - with so much depth and dimension. I can tell the author truly cared for them. Some of my favourites were: Brit, who is this lovely comedic relief from the devastating events in the book; Ola, who is this really strong, snipe-y, bit-of-a-bitch-but-she-grows-on-you character; and Sela, their prisoner, who is this bratty, stabby young girl they all end up adopting in a way.

Not to mention that everyone in this book is queer! There are so many identities and sexualities - I really appreciated this touch.

The world has so much history and life to it. The worldbuilding itself never felt too heavy despite this, and it was woven well into the plot. There were many twists and turns I didn’t see coming. I gasped, cried, laughed and giggled endless times throughout the book.

Ultimately it explores themes of sacrifice, love and freedom, and the balance of family, nation and friendships when it comes to ruling a kingdom.

The author writes in a way that every line lingers and stays with you - I have so many quotes saved.
I haven’t felt this intensely about a book in a long time, and this is now my favourite adult fantasy.

This book is the very definition of ‘devotion’.

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A massive thank you to Orbit UK and Little Brown Book Group for sending me this Netgalley ARC. I am eternally grateful.

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. 2025 is truly the year of the lady knight and I am SO fucking here for it.

The Second Death of Locke is a beautiful epic fantasy romance in a gothic medieval setting. The writing was poetic and consuming, with world-building that was richly immersive but without feeling too overwhelming.

I loved the way the romance and magic system were interlinked in this book. The friends to lovers dynamic between Grey, a powerful well, and Kier, a mage who draws from Grey to strengthen his magic was believable, tender and heartfelt, with just the right amount of yearning to set my heart aflutter.

This is one of those fantasy novels that I will be thinking about for a long time, I’m really looking forward to seeing where this goes as a trilogy and for more Grey & Kier (the new loml)

✨ Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this book!

4.2 Stars

The Second Death of Locke is beautifully written, with writing that feels just as magical as the incredibly unique world it brings to life. The magic system in this book is one of the most unique I’ve ever come across and I’m honestly obsessed with it.

At its heart, this is a friends-to-lovers romance with an absolutely insane amount of yearning. If you like glances filled with longing and absent-minded touches you’ll be well fed here. I will admit Grey felt really dense to me at times when it came to the romantic side of things. I mean, Kier was so obviously in love with her, and somehow she just didn’t see it and even when he straight up flirted with her she’d just be like “haha but as friends right?” I found it hard to believe, especially for a woman in her 30s! As a whole with regards to their relationship, it wasn’t bad, but it didn’t quite hit the spot for me either. I was hoping for more spark, more of the playful banter just more dimension. It just felt a bit too solemn for my taste.

Character-wise, I did enjoy the cast as a whole. Grey and Kier certainly had depth, but they also felt a little monotonous at times, I wanted more layers, more contrast. In comparison, the side characters absolutely stole the show for me. I’m a total sucker for found family, and this book delivered oodles of it. Their dynamics added so much warmth and heart to the story.

I did find myself struggling with the pacing at times. There were stretches where the story felt like it dragged, and I kept wishing it would pick up again. The final third of the book didn’t quite work for me, mostly because Grey started to really get on my nerves. She just felt stupid to me in terms of her choices and reasoning! The climax also felt far too easy and wrapped up so quickly! It left me feeling underwhelmed!

I also this book is meant to be a part of a series which I found shocking because this felt like a standalone to me! So I’ll be interested to see where the story goes in the next book!

Overall, this was a wonderfully imaginative and emotionally rich read, even if it didn’t land every beat for me. I’m still thinking about that world and its magic system, so if you’re here for the vibes and looking for your next 2025 lady knight hit, you won’t be disappointed.

This was such an interesting concept:: dark, reflective, and full of big questions about identity and mortality. I really liked the atmosphere; it had this eerie, almost dreamlike feel that stuck with me. The writing itself was beautiful at times, and there were definitely moments that made me stop and think.
That said, I had a hard time fully connecting with the characters, especially Kier. He felt a bit distant, which made it tough to get emotionally invested.. The middle also dragged a bit for me, and I found myself losing focus here and there.
Overall, I liked the ideas more than the execution. It didn’t totally work for me, but I think readers who enjoy slower, introspective stories with a philosophical edge might really click with this one!!

'Power in bravery.'

This book...this book?!!!!
I loved everything thing about it- it was actual perfection.

The longing and yearning set my heart alight and gave my soul butterflies. Honestly haven't read romantic tension like this in a while and I've definitely missed it.

The magic system was so unique,intriguing, and intricate, whilst also being very easy to understand. I can't wait for the second book and on what I know is going to have more of the awesome world building this one has because of all the hints left that definitely need to be explored.

The writing was absolutely lush, and just all out gorgeous.

One of the main things that made me adore this book, more than the romance, the politics, the magic? Was how it was queer down to its very bones. The representation in this is amazing, and as a pansexual woman I felt very seen and heard. But the rep doesn't just focus on sexual identity, gender identity is a big part as well.

As for the FMC? I adore her whole being, she is such a complex and nuanced character and I won't be suprised if other readers fall in love with her as much as I did.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

The yearning is palpable.

I would love to write a long, detailed, glowing review for this book - it deserves it - but I honestly don't even have the words to express how entranced I was, and right from the first chapter.

Kind of gothic, very queer normative, lots of yearning, FOUND FAMILY, fantastic world building (how lucky are we to get companion books set in this world??), elements of a road novel, emotional beats all over the place, a lady knight, is it any wonder that this is probably my favourite book of 2025 so far?

(And also, I cried.)

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5 stars. Nearly perfect.

I just ... I just love fantasy politics so much ...

And another thing I love is secret identities. Secret royalty. Like, that's absolutely my jam. If I ever do come around to writing a book, it will for sure feature some secret royalty.

The Second Death of Locke features secret royalty, too, in the best of ways, because there's almost a triple deception going on. The story begins when Grey and Kier, our main characters are tasked with delivering Maryse of Locke to a neighboring kingdom in the middle of a brutal war. But the thing is, that this "Maryse" cannot be Maryse, because GREY is Maryse! This is is not a spoiler, it says that right here in the Goodreads summary! Sue me.

I was absolutely enchanted by this magic system. Mages are mages in the way that mages usually are mages in fantasy books (that sure was ... a sentence) but their power, the actual source they need to work that magic comes from another person, a so-called well. This well, assigned to their mage with the military rank of "Hand" (which is where the "Hand" part in the series title comes from), provides the actual magical power for the mage to do their magic with. (There were way too many instances of the word "mage" in this review. Oh well. I'm very tired.) That's fascinating. I've never really read anything like that before, and yet, it is a very pliable concept, providing a perfect roadmap to the obsessive/possessive relationships that feature so often in romantasy.

That was my only gripe with this book, unfortunately. Grey and Kier, well and mage respectively, and bound to each other (illegaly, btw) are obsessed with each other. I found this relationship initially compelling, but in the end, it became almost cloying, almost too important to the characters themselves. This is maybe a spoiler, but there is a point in the story where Kier kind-of dies, and Grey is faced with continuing to live on without him, and I felt RELIEF. It was almost as if Kier held back Grey's character development, and by dying would have provided her with an opportunity to grow. Or, more concisely formulated, would have FORCED her to grow, to have to come to terms with a future that doesn't involve him, and it would have been even more fascinating than what actually happened, which is that she gets to keep him, and keep being locked (ha, ha) to this relationship, and therefore stagnating.

One other thing I would like to mention: I loved how casually diverse this book was. If we already have to suspend our belief in our own reality, which we do if reading a fantasy novel anyway, it felt comforting and warm to read about a fantasy where being a gay couple is not only allowed, it's normal. There's at least three background lesbian relationships, and our main adventuring party features not one, but two trans characters (one of them being nonbinary), and both main characters are confirmed bisexuals. It felt ... warm. Right. I felt seen, and I felt happy and appreciative, especially how normal those identities were treated as part of the worldbuilding. I would like more of that, please.

So, yeah. Hidden royalty, right? Fucking rules. ... Pun not intented. It really is very late right now.

I absolutely devoured this book. It is a beautifully written story with a unique magic system, female knight, and a queer representation that integrated naturally into the world, which was a breath of fresh air. V.L.Bovalino paints a vivid and clear world that is so easy to feel completely immersed in. A true slow burn. The yearning and utter devotion between the main characters truly leapt off the page and made my heart swell. The story flowed seamlessly and I laughed and I cried along with the characters.
I personally loved this book and cannot wait for my physical 'shelf trophy'.

"What is love, without freedom?"
''What is life, without you?''

“The Second Death of Locke” by V.L. Bovalino
This book didn’t just break me,it found pieces of me I’d forgotten I’d lost.

Since I was a child, I’ve been chasing THAT story, the one that echoes with the same ache and longing that old fantasy movies like Labyrinth, Fantaghirò, and The Last Unicorn used to stir in my chest. The kind of story that feels like a whispered prayer to the gods of storytelling: “Please, give me a tale that sees me.”
This year, I was lucky enough to find two.
Now I’ve found a third.
And this one… this one might be the one I never stop carrying.

🕯️ It begins nearly two decades after the fall of the Isle of Locke,the birthplace of all magic in Idistra, now nothing more than a haunting memory. With the isle gone and its heirs hunted to extinction, the land is left with dwindling magical wells, mages stretched thin, and a war that shows no mercy. In this world, Grey Flynn and her mage Kier Seward,tethered by love, loyalty, and years of shared bloodshed.Theyare given one final, impossible task: protect a child who may be the last heir of Locke, and deliver her into the very heart of an enemy kingdom.
The only problem?
Yeah, I’m not telling you that. You need to read it.

📖 V.L. Bovalino has created something rare.
Not just a world, but a feeling. A pull. A soul deep yearning wrapped in war, loss, love, sacrifice and freedom.
Her writing is the kind you don’t just read; you lock it your heart. Every word, every heartbeat of this book feels like it’s being whispered straight into your bones.

The magic system is smart, immersive, and heartbreakingly fragile.
The politics are slow-burn of power, survival, and unspoken debts.
The relationships and found family are beating soulmates through sacrifice. That old, quiet kind of love that doesn’t scream but stays.

Grey is the protagonist I’ve been waiting for, forever. And Kier… Kier has my whole damn heart. My soul folded itself into his quiet strength and devotion, and it’s still there.
I cried.
Not just cried, but full-body, soul-level crying. The kind that doesn’t come from sadness, but from being seen. From that moment when a story becomes more than a story, it becomes a mirror.

This book reminded me why I want to write. Why I crave stories. Because maybe, somewhere out there, someone is waiting for their “Second Death of Locke.” And they deserve to feel what I just felt.
Bovalino didn’t just write a book.
She wrote a home, for me.
And I am so grateful I read this story

I don’t care what anyone else experienced. I know what this was to me.
It called out to me the moment I saw it.
And now, my little heart is so full and I never want to let it go.

If you’re looking for a story that aches, that heals, that hungers, that holds you,this is it.

I’m definitely not the target audience for this genre, I much prefer my fantasy more epic than romantic but occasionally a title pops up that catches my interest. There is much to love in this novel especially its excellent magical system which is well thought out, a bit different from the usual and comes with real consequences, something often lacking in fantasy. Then we have the core relationship, a friends to lovers trope, which is really well done. It takes its time to develop, slowly and tenderly and you really are rooting for the characters.

That said the novel falls short in its detail, both in the world-building and the creation of characters feels undercooked. The cast is large, many characters go by multiple names, and there’s a notable lack of physical description—making it difficult at times to follow who’s who and what’s happening. The world itself also feels thin; I would have loved more insight into the countries, cultures, histories, and landscapes, but the story doesn’t offer much in that regard.

Ultimately, this is a very intimate book, focused heavily on emotions and relationships rather than a broader narrative scope. So, if heartfelt, well-written romantasy is your thing, this is definitely worth a read.

DNF at 33% because this is incredible boring.
The characters have barely any personality, not even the main ones - Kier is kind and Grey is, um, in love with Kier? They are not any better together. Their dynamic is mostly just them being very physically affectionate and sending each other feelings and assurances through the mage tether. There is some banter and teasing but it's very bland. When the romance is the entire focus of the book, the characters really need to be more interesting.

The worldbuilding also leaves a lot to be desired. By the time I stopped, I knew the names of the country the main characters were in and several nearby, but absolutely nothing about the culture or people except that it's queernormative and vaguely medieval. I know it's not the focus of the book, but it left me feeling like the characters were in a void. The book is very under-descriptive in general which doesn't help.

I felt uninterested from the beginning but carried on until 33% because I really wanted to like this, but I can't carry on. The plot has barely begun a third of the way into the book, and I don't care about the characters or the romance at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

overall i quite liked this book! i loved the queer-normative elements of the world, i loved the world-building, i liked the characters a lot, i loved the themes of the book, but ultimately i was a little disappointed at how our main character doesn’t grow all that much. grey doesn’t want to be someone others sacrifice their lives for, but constantly puts herself in the danger she hates her loved ones being in. additionally the conflict resolution of grey not telling kier about his death was very fast, i just found it unrealistic. i’m not much of a romance enjoyer, but i did like grey and kier’s relationship occasionally.

In all my efforts to discover what actually is it that I like to read, I am thinking about books I have loved in the past. I have started to try to read more traditional fantasy coded (and just straight-up fantasy). I read Mistborn. It took me weeks. No shade to Sanderstans, I will almost certainly read more in future, but as someone trying to build up my tolerance to longer books, Mistborn was perhaps not the best place to start.

Fantasy does seem to be hitting though. But what else do I like… well I love an interesting FMC, a bit of romance and spice, an interesting magic system. LORE. One of my favourites from last year was "When Among Crows" by Veronica Roth. I ADORE "Juniper and Thorn" by Ava Reid.

I feel terrible that I can't remember who recommended this to me- I'll credit when I figure it out, but something about the way it was described took me right to Netgalley (Thankyou for the ARC). Let. Me. Tell. You…

High fantasy has a tendency to absolutely bewilder by undiagnosed ADHD brain. I crave complexity in relationships and history etc, but often have to completely re-read who sections going "who!?". I just want, like any girl to be whisked away. TSDOL took my hand and led me on a gorgeous adventure with tortured loves, tragic backstories, found family, betrayal and redemption, and every time I put it down, I was excited to pick it up again the next day. I looked forward to turning the page and honestly for a reader who loses interest if I am not grabbed and satisfied in 200 pages, that was a truly magical experience.

The Beginning is a little slow but honestly that is very brief and my only critique. The romantic element felt genuine and though it did not completely buck all tropes (I mean why would you want it to really?), I was fully invested from the beginning.

I also just want to say that the cover of this is absolutely STUNNING. It's shamelessly giving Chappell Roan in armour but I simply do not care.

Read if you love fantasy, romance (weirdly I would not call this a romantasy but I'll leave that to the Booktokkers to decide) really just thrilling worldbuilding. My most confident 5 stars I think this year.