Started: 06/09/20
Finished: 22/09/20
Spoilers: No
3.75⭐
Because yes, I'm that fussy.
But please bear in mind that anything rated 3 or higher is still a win from me.
Characters
Miko: Of the three POV characters, I probably found Miko my favourite, cause politics. And I love me some politics. I enjoy when a charcter isn't necessarily physically strong, but strong in other ways, and thrives. Miko is clever and resourceful. She's ballsy and certainly has a way with words.
Cassandra: Even though Miko was my favorite, Cassandra was definitely the most interesting. She could have been my favourite, but unfortunately I don't think she was utilised enough in this book. Her chapters seemed to grow few and far between in the end, to the point where I started to question her presence in the book. Despite being the most interesting character by far, I can't help but feel like her storyline had no actual effect on the overall plot.
Rah: Although he was a fairly interesting character, I wish he did a bit more than just sever heads all the time. There was so much of it at the start that I lost enthusiasm for his character quite early on. He definitely grew on me, but man, those first few Rah chapters were an uphill climb. Don't get me wrong, I love a severed head as much as the next gal, but I wanted to connect with him over more than just his collection of heads.
Now, upon beginning this, I was excited to learn that Tanaka and Edo were a gay couple, and I was totally ready to go down with that ship...then chapter 10 happened. It's fine, Devin Madson. It's cool, not like I was totally devastated or anything.
Plot
This book has more severed heads than chapters. No kidding. There's heads all over the place.
But anyway, I love me a good war/invasion plot line, especially when it explores how war effects different people and not just those fighting in it. I would've liked a little more of this from the perspective of ordinary people, though, as I think that can be such a terrific way to show the horrors of war. We see a little bit of forced displacement from Miko's perspective, as her people flee their homes to escape the coming war, but there's something about seeing it thorough the eyes of a royal who's fighting the war, that loses some of the effect. I think seeing this through Cassandra's eyes might have been better. Her unbiased experience (not being on one side or the other) would have viewed the war through a completely different lens than Miko.
And because Cassandra was the only character who no true allegiance, that put her in a very unique position to exposed the effects of the war. In general, I guess I just wanted more from Cassandra, but hopefully we'll get it in book 2.
Setting
An interesting blend of people and cultures.
Kisia has distinct Chinese/Japanese inspiration. The Chiltaen seem to be some kind of Roman Catholic, judging by their names, their religion, and they're mostly described as blonde, which sets them apart from the Kisians. The Levanti, however, I wasn't sure what they were meant to be, but they gave me strong Dothraki vibes.
Of all the various settings, I enjoyed exploring Kisia the most, just cause I love that Asian-inspired fantasy thang.
Writing Style
Very strong writing. Excellent and engaging prose. Not too much and not too little. Genuinely fantastic writing that I can't fault.
Final Impression
Cliffhangers galore! So, yes, I'll be reading the next book for sure.
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