This was a fairly quick read and I finished it pretty quickly. While it was a good read, I found it a little underwhelming. The world building was good but I would have liked to see more of the other places. But I guess we’ll see all of that in book 2.
While the narrative progresses at a pretty fast pace, there were portions of the book where not much happened in terms of plot. The book was more about character development and growth than it was about overall plot progression.
I was hoping there wouldn’t be one of those pesky love triangles or insta-love and thankfully both were missing. The characters were all well-written, complex and flawed and yet they all left an impression.
Shalia is the main protagonist, she is the daughter of the clan leader. Her marriage to Calix, the king is meant to ensure peace between their peoples. But things start going wrong from pretty much the beginning. Calix has a casual cruelty that makes it hard to ever trust him. He has a quick and foul temper. My problem with Shalia was that she spent so much of the book trying to hide her power and determined to get rid of it that it was little infuriating. But I also appreciated how quickly she saw through Calix and yet stayed because she wanted to ensure the safety of her people.
Calix was very well-written. Gaughen‘s portrayal of an abusive marriage was fairly spot-on. The way it started, in an innocuous manner and gradually got worse. Also, his sudden mood swings when he reacted rashly and then immediately expressed deep regret and made promises. All of that painted a picture of a man who had issues. And I haven’t even mentioned that he regarded his own people as disposable. He was a misogynist and a homophobe. So, truly a match made in hell.
Galen, his younger brother, was the exact opposite of Calix. He was the military commander and cared for the people as well as his men. He had a strong moral compass and stuck to it as best he could. But he was also an enabler where Calix was concerned. Refusing to question him and his choices, he instead carried out those order even if they made him sick. He could see that Calix was no longer the brother he remembered when they were young and yet continued to stay by his side and watch him treat both Shalia and his people with cruelty.
Danae, she was the youngest sibling, the sister that people hardly ever saw. Her relationship with Calix was perhaps the most toxic of all. She’s gay and he forced her to hide that part of herself. He made her do his dirty work and yet didn’t ever stop to ask the toll it took on her. And worse, Galen, her elder brother ddin’t see what was happening right in front of him and didn’t put a stop to it. Her relationship with Calix is where despite everything that Calix has done, she still loves him and thinks it’s her responsibility to love him and keep him safe.
I loved Kata. She was the badass that’s usually reserved for the main character. She was confident in her powers and gave Shalia the guidance she needed to use and trust her own powers. I loved Kairos, Shalia’s older brother. Always there for her with his customary wit and charm. He was wily and dangerous and people didn’t it because he played his part so well.
I’m hoping that in the next book, we spend more time with Kata and the band and Shalia grows more comfortable with her powers. I truly wish you-know-who is safe and rejoins the gang.
Ravings of a Manic Reader 