I have super mixed feelings about this book and at this point I'd say that I won't pick up The Breathing Sea 2 for example. This was a book for me that had some enjoyable elements present, but somehow I still wasn't super excited to pick this book up everytime I got the chance and overall I unforutnately just wasn't WOW'ed by it.

I think it's a combination of some things like that maybe the author's writing just isn't for me and that I was also not really able to truly connect to these characters. Too me, it was just a bit Too female focused I guess. I like strong female characters just as the next person, but it all just felt a bit too forced.

I did really like the magical elements for example. In basis, this story had a lot of potential but it just wasn't for me I guess. If you like magic, interesting settings/world and a female focused book, this might be exactly what you're looking for!

Tsarinona/Dasha didn’t feel like eating when ehr maids- Kera and Olesya- urged her to. At least not the sausage - Dasha couldn’t eat the sausage as she knows it came from pain. But then Olesya said dasha had to get over her squeamish ways before she takes her mother’s place on the Wooden Throne. It surprised Dasha how after a lifetime to realize those around her were oblivious to the things that touched Dasha deeply. Sometimes Dasha wondered if the blood that flowed through her was human at all. Some would argue she wasn’t of the world of women at all with the circumstances behind her conception. But Dasha was pretty sure she wasn't a God either. Her maids did think she was someone other than she appeared to be. But in their case they seemed to think she was someone much more dangerous than she seemed on the outside. Dasha had been told at times she was too fanciful for a future Empress. Dasha dreamed of getting rid of ehr maids even though she had never lived without them.Dasha lived in the Kremlin. More and more it seemed like Dasha was useless, serving nothing at all. Oh there was a promise she had been born for a special purpose but so far nothing. Dasha knew she should be learning and studying in preparation for the day when she would take her mother’s place. To celebrate Dasha reaching her seventeenth year she could go on a trip, Dasha has never left Krasnograd. She knew from her books and the words of others there was a big wide world out there. Full of interesting and exciting things that she could hardly imagine , but Dasha hadn’t seen any of it yet. All her life Dasha had been carefully protected. Lately she ahd a restlessness growing stronger in her as time passed, she was more curious of that outside world even the bad things. But soon she would leave Krasnograd to see the rest of Zen with her father who would escort her her mother had visitors for dinner two princesses from the south, one had a daughter that was Dasha age and her mother wanted to foster her in Krasnograd
And the mothers hoped the two young women would become friends. Dasha needs to find someone who can help her make sense of and harness her uncontrollable visions and powers and Dasha goes on her journey to try to find that someone.
I had mixed feelings about this book yet I wanted to go on to the next to find out what happens to Dasha on her travels the first time away from Krasnograd. I did get a little confused at times like the way the servants treated their future ruler. I did love that the author gave hints throughout this book. I do feel there was a little too much inner dialogue. I really liked that this world was ruled by women, that was different. I didn’t like how the trans person was portrayed or treated in this book. I think Dasha ended very immature a lot during this book. So i still have to read the next book even though I have mixed feelings it drew me in enough to want to learn more.