****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
It took me fifteen days to finish reading this book, because I would pick it up and put it down — not because it was boring or bad, but because it’s a very filling kind of read that didn’t feel right to consume all at once.Here are my thoughts:First, this is my best read of 2018. I know I bought and finished this in January of 2019, but please understand that I find this the best book I’ve read in an entire year. It’s very, very good.The writing is beautiful. It’s flowery and strongly stylistic without coming across as pompous or hollow. It feels dramatic, loving, and emphatic. Not once did I roll my eyes at the way something was described, or at something a character said. I’ve read a lot of books lately with dialogue and phrasing that is meant to be catchy and quotable to the reader but wholly inorganic or out of place in the story itself. The writing of this book, however, is the exact opposite; there is nothing but sincerity in it.The characters also feel sincere, and more importantly they feel like they belong in the setting. There isn’t a single character in the story that feels shallow or belittled by their role as a “side character.” They’re all fully realized, with their own motives and feelings and lives, even if those lives aren’t the focus of the story. This, also, is a nice breath of fresh air.The setting IS the plot, in a way. And both are incredibly unique and very satisfying. The world building is front and center, but not in a history book kind of way so much as it’s been woven into the story itself. Honestly, I loved the setting the most out of anything in this book. I can’t even put it into words what makes it so fantastic but it just is. I loved it, and I can’t wait to return to the world in the following books.The main character, Mehr, is wonderful and I love her. She was strong in a brittle way, and flawed in a believable way. I loved her spirit and her stubbornness and I especially loved her hope. Her circumstances are very dark at times, and she reflected that darkness occasionally, but I loved watching her overcome all of it — sometimes with help, and sometimes all alone.I have only a few gripes about this book. There are a few scenes or side details that I felt weren’t wholly important to the main plot, or the development of the characters — or in a few places I felt the pacing moved too quickly, or the buildup was ruined by a sudden turn of events. I’ll probably never be super enthusiastic about the main male lead, Amun, either. However, rather than ruining the experience or lessening it, I just felt grateful for these little gripes because it shows how a story doesn’t have to be perfect to its reader to still be incredibly good.It’s that good, that flaws I’d hold irredeemable in other works simply become a part of this one’s charm.I wish this book was higher up on the bestseller list, because it honestly deserves it.Anyone who’s looking for a richly detailed fantasy world that’s unique and breath-takingly magical with believable characters and gorgeous prose coupled, who won’t mind spending a little more time enjoying these wonderful things? This is a good book for you, I think.
