NOTE: This review will be live on my blog (linked below) on 7/21/20

Once again Melissa Caruso has given us an exciting tale that builds to an almost punishing pace that keeps us readers wondering how things could possibly work out in the end for our protagonist. I'll admit I had a bit of slow start with this one, but I think that had more to do with what I was in the mood for reading than anything else because once I get past the 15% mark I was all in with this story. So glad to be back in this world!

At the start of the story we're introduced to Ryx, our protagonist, and we learn certain key things about her--she's lived a somewhat isolated life with her grandmother due to her magic literally sucking the life out of any living thing she comes in contact with, she's kind of lonely even though she puts on a brave front, she loves her grandmother and her home and that's where her loyalty lies. Caruso craftily establish these and other facets of Ryx's personality early on through several events that occur as Ryx hurries through the castle preparing for two visiting delegations who are meeting on 'neutral' ground to hammer out some sort of peace deal.

The plot of this story kicks off when one thing goes very wrong and thus starts a series of rather unfortunate events that threaten the peace deal, the people Ryx is responsible for, and possibly all of Eruvia. In fact the plot can be summed up with Murphy's Law:  Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Things go very, very wrong. And as more and more people arrive to the castle to make things even more complicated, Ryx suddenly finds herself in the middle of chaotic swirl of trying to solve several problems at once. The problems are like hydra heads though--every time she's able to solve one, or make some sort of progress, eight others spring up that are even worse than the first one. If you find yourself reading this thinking 'geez, what else could go wrong?' you will find out that answer soon enough--trust me. Honestly, I found this aspect of the story really interesting. You can feel Ryx's frustration as she's trying to hold things together having to juggle a million and one things, trying to remember who knows what and who she can trust. As things begin to build toward the end it gives the story a sense of urgency that I appreciated. I love a story that makes me feel like catching my breath.

So, back to the characters because they're always my favorite thing in a story. Ryx was a fun character to follow throughout the story. She's one of my favorite types of characters--one through circumstances has just had a crap lot in life so far and just wants friends and companionship, yearning for it like it's something they'll never have. There's something about these characters that breaks my heart and makes me root for them because they deserve so much more than what they've been handed so far. I love Ryx and I loved watching her start to come into her own here, taking a more active role in her own life. All of the side characters here were so interesting! I love everyone from the Rookery. I mean, they're like a band of misfits who are all good at certain things and they've assembled into a crack team to solve magical mysteries throughout both The Serene Empire and Vaskandar. Each one of the members stands out on their own and I loved getting to know them. Also, the Rookery itself! Just the fact that there's a legacy of things that happened in the prior series and it's a joint venture such as this...my heart. <3<3<3 

Of course there are lots of other characters as well. The story has a lot of players on the board! And they're all pretty much here to mess up the day, even those that are trying to help the situation don't seem to be immune from that. There are the delegates from The Serene Empire, the representatives of a the Witch Lord who has been beefing with The Serene Empire, Ryx's family members popping by and making trouble, the castle staff, a representative of the Conclave, etc. And then there's the Big Bads of which there are varying degrees. Who is the Big Bad? At first it's hard to tell because things are getting lost in the chaos that's been unleashed on the castle. And then you have the literal manifestation of chaos showing up later so...yeah. But rest assured there is a villain and there are also some maybe villains and there's plenty of things that will carry over into the next book, I'm sure. I loved all of these characters and the way they were written. I love that some of them are clearly who you're supposed to be rooting for or against and then there's just a whoooooole lot of unknowns in the middle. 

Overall The Obsidian Tower was a really fun book to read--it took me on a wild ride and it was a journey I was happy to go on. Can't wait for the next book to see what further (mis)adventures lie ahead. 5/5 stars.

Ok, real time... Ugh, this review is hard to write, I'm not actually finished this book but I also really wanted to write this review because feelings. I have a lot of them and it's complicated but also I just really don't want to finish it anytime soon, which I think is also valid? However, I also really don't want to not finish it either? sooooooo complicated.

The Obsidian Tower is well written and well thought out and feels quite intentional. I love almost everything, and I love reading it but I'm also extremely bored. There are lots of fun and DIVERSE characters which I'm living for, the diversity feels so natural which is surprising because there's so much of it. But also this book is very, and I mean VERY politically based, there are no action scenes, anything exciting that happens so far, happens "off-screen." And to be honest, I'm really bored, I have to push myself to keep reading, there's tons of things happening and lots of incredibly well written characters whom I love but also nothing is happening...? I don't know, this book for me but it also really isn't?

I plan on finishing it eventually but not anytime soon, especially since I'm over 70% through it which is why I feel comfortable writing this.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Orbit books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book!!

This is the first book by author Melissa Caruso and it won't be my last. Halfway through The Obsidian Tower, I had to look up what other books she had written because I was so completely enraptured by both the story and her style of writing. Her characters are written with such great distinction in their personalities and mannerisms that they come alive on the pages. They have moments of great vulnerability and courage. My favourite character, other than the main character Ryxander, is Whisper. Whisper's character is portrayed with such an air of mystery and intrigue that you can't help but be drawn in. I want to know so much more about his story and his role in the story.
I don't read a lot of magic fantasy stories but this one has got me as excited for it's continuation as I was when I discovered The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for an action packed plot with plenty of mystery to keep you up all night!

What a ride! I loved everything about this story from the world to the magic to the relationships. Ryx and her complicated, sometimes downright depressing magic and how she deals with it shows just how strong she really is. Demons willingly and unwillingly possessing human bodies and magic gates to the Nine Hells.......YES!!!! I need book two now!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was excited to receive a copy of this book, since I really enjoyed Caruso's [book:The Tethered Mage|34219880] trilogy. And it did not disappoint!

Once again, Caruso has built a world with very different magic systems and cultures - and once again, there was really no problem understanding what was going on. She manages to describe the world in a way that's not tediously expository, while still working in the necessary details so that it all makes sense.

And, once again, I love the characters she portrays. Nobody is perfect. There is certainly no "hero" who does everything right - there are kind and loving people, who also screw up. There is friendship, and betrayal. Even though I sometimes groaned "Oh, no Ryx, don't do THAT," I felt affection for her, and knew that she was trying to do what was right. And, there were enough moments when I wasn't really sure what she would choose to do, to introduce some tension to the plot.

Caruso also has a full complement of male, female and non-gendered characters, who run the gamut of characteristics - good, evil, fierce, nice - without making a big deal out of it. They're people. I like that!

While this is the first book in a trilogy, it doesn't end on such a cliffhanger that I was dissatisfied. I will absolutely be eager to read book 2, but in the meantime, I am delighted to have read this one.

I tried very hard to get into this one and was hoping to love it but unfortunately I couldn't. Thank you for the copy netgalley and to the publisher!

Nothing must unseal the door. This was a good follow up to her original trilogy. I liked seeing how the politics and plans affected the future. I did not like the main character. She was weak and the ending was rushed. To many plot points interacted and resolved in about 20 pages. The begining was also a little slow and the instant trust that was shown to everybody was not realistic. The only reason I will finish this trilogy is because I am obsessive and need to finish what I start but I will not wait for the next one with baited breath

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso is hands down one of my favorite books this year. This book is almost 500 pages and the entire time I was reading it I hated having to put it down in order to do life stuff like eat or sleep.

The world building was spot on for me. I could picture the eclectic and sometimes creepy (Bone portion I’m looking at you) make up of Gloamingard perfectly, with all of its different sections and passageways. The way that nature worked with the magic of the area’s mages fit in so well and just made it even better.

I absolutely loved the mix of magic and politics woven into the story. I was so heavily invested in how points that came up would affect relationships or already strenuous truces. Some stories that are on the political side of fantasy can drag, but no matter what type of scene it was, a meeting or action, there was always something happening, and there was never a point when I wasn’t intrigued or trying to guess about an event or character. Then there how the characters themselves would act at each event. I loved the Rookery and Ryx, and Whisper! Consider me sold whenever a Chimera is brought into a story.

I am hooked and cannot wait for The Quicksilver Court!

I’m not going to lie, The Obsidian Tower was a bit of a struggle.

I think it all came down to the pacing. This is not some vast epic fantasy (not that I was expecting that, exactly) but more of a zoomed in look at the political machinations holding nations together and the person who brought them under one roof. And, of course, the super mysterious door that no one is supposed to open that’s obviously going to be opened because that’s just what happens in books!

But overall, I was… not bored, exactly, but disappointed? Underwhelmed? Here is a decently sized fantasy novel and while things certainly happened, I missed the stakes. I knew they were there, I could see on the page where the tension should be, but I wasn’t personally connecting with it. And maybe that’s the problem — they were there on the page and I never had the chance to ask questions because so much information was given. Sometimes that was needed but sometimes it felt like too much. I never feared for the life of Ryx, the protagonist, despite the fact that she faced a number of potentially fatal moments.

Maybe that comes down to the character perspective. Ryx tells the story in first person and I felt that same disconnect with her. To be honest… she just wasn’t the most interesting character to follow. Her touch quite literally kills people but she felt bland on the page. And while some of the other characters intrigued me, they all felt a bit flat. Obviously I don’t think that was the intention but seeing them through Ryx’s eyes and already having that disconnect didn’t work in any of the characters’ favors.

Except Ryx’s grandmother. I’d love a book about her.

So yes, The Obsidian Tower was a bit of a struggle. But I didn’t dislike it. The politics were fascinating and I almost wish there had been more of the scheming and intrigue rather than pulling the focus onto the Door-that-should-not-be-opened. That was where Ryx’s character seemed to shine and the story became interesting to me.

I also love the different types of magic. Some of it was familiar after the author’s Swords and Fire series set in the same world, and I enjoyed the Witch Lord aspect with Ryx and her grandmother.

Also the chimaera Whisper. Still don’t really know what’s going on with him but I kind of want a chimaera pet/friend/thing now?? Or, you know, magic.

And within this world is a casual diversity that I just really appreciated. We have a bi protagonist, along with a F/F romance with side characters, as well as a non-binary character. I believe the author mentioned that Ryx falls on the ace spectrum and one of the characters read as ace as well. Everything is written as just being the way of things rather than creating call-outs and it was perfect.

But ultimately… did I enjoy The Obsidian Tower? Eh. I liked it, and I would read the sequel, knowing Caruso’s writing style with her previous trilogy. It just isn’t super high on my list of anticipated titles.

I’ll be curious to see where things go with the next book.

I forgot to write a review after I finished reading this book two days ago. That never happened to me before but I guess there's a first time for everything!

The Obsidian Tower follows Ryx, the mage-marked granddaughter of a ruler of Vaskandar. I freaking loved her. Her powers are not like those of her family and that made her a bit of a recluse. We don't really know what makes her different except that her touch is lethal, for people and for nature as well. Everyone in her castle know they must stay away from her. Ryx's only purpose is to protect her domain, her people and the obsidian tower. An old and dangerous artifact is protected inside. However, things start to go wrong when someone tries to stick her nose where it doesn't belong and ends up dead.

Demons, politics and a bit of romance (but almost none, really) are inside this book. I appreciated the LGBT couple in here but I would have loved it even more if it was Ryx.

One of the problems I had with this book was that for a big part of the story, the pace was so sloooow. The negotiations and politics felt very realistic as in everyone kept talking about the same thing over and over, with everyone holding their ground most of the time. That part was almost boring and I wish we could have had a bit less of that. At 75%, things started happening so that was nice. The other thing that bothered me was how (view spoiler)

Overall, I liked this book. I saw some of the twists coming and I have a theory about Whisper. I'm curious to find out what happens next and see if I'm right in the sequel because we don't have all the answers yet. This was the first book I've read from this author and I might have to give a chance to her trilogy.


(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

A fun book with great aspec rep! Could be a little slow at times but overall very good and looking forward to more from this author

At the castle of the immortal Witch Lord of Vaskandar, peace talks are being held between the Serene Empire and Alevar. Exalted Ryxander, granddaughter of the Witch Lord and Warden, manages the peace. Lamiel, diplomat and only love of the Witch Lord of Alevar, accidentally dies trying to open the dark and ashen magic within the Obsidian Tower. Touching Ryx, and her deadly magic, Lamiel’s heart and body cease. Ryx hides the truth to maintain the peace.

Ryx always hid herself and her deathly magic, that which kills at the touch. She sees herself as broken. Unable to even touch the girl she once had mad dreams of courting. When Lamiel touches her, she makes the decision never to allow such a thing to happen again. Her old friend, Aurelio, puts a jess on her, preventing her deathly magic from stopping any more hearts. Ryx searches for a way to protect her people from what lays in the Obsidian Tower.

The Obsidian Tower is one of those fluttery, intense, darkly sinister and heartbreakingly nuanced fantasy novels of my dreams. Reminiscent of the tales of demons and the 9 sins, Melissa Caruso truly has taste for telling fantasy tales. A granny Wtich Lord possessed by a lady demon called Discord. Briar roses that act like snakes to strike at victims of their vengeance. Mages with power to command animals. A gay swordswoman and her aro-tastic crush. Nonbinary chaotic mages! Flamboyant boy mages with lavender hair and a cape of iridescent purple butterflies. A diversity of skin tones. Warm citrus steamed tea or lavender tea? The cozy darkness at the tip of your fingers.

This book is like legends, almost arthurian mixed with cozy British folktales and a dash of demonic loveliness. Lords named after animals. The Fox Lord, Lady of Owls, Mantis Lord. The nuance of the characters is exactly what I look for when reading adult fantasy, something that I miss from other books I’ve read. The subtle looks, the roguish smiles, the things that aren’t said. Caruso is excellent at writing the ‘i’m a nice guy’ asshole. They all make for deeply rooted characters. You don’t have to be explained anything because everything is seen through the descriptions.

The subtle humor is exactly what I needed after everything going on in the world. That and the fucking GAY GAY GAYNESS of this fantasy. Give me the best bi fantasy and Caruso certainly delivered.

Thank You to Orbit for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not going to lie. I laughed when I first got this ARC. Mostly because it was way after it's publishing date. Then I freaked out because HOLY CRAP, I just got The Obsidian Tower!! So, yeah.. geeked out and then dove into it.

This book took me a while to get into. No, it wasn't due to slow pacing or anything. No, I didn't feel like information was constantly being dumped on me. YES, work was slowly eating me alive and I was maybe reading a chapter a day. MAYBE.

Luckily, today of all days, I finished it! I was like "screw work.. I need to finish this damn book NOW!" Spoiler alert: I still worked I was just magically great at multitasking today. So weird.. but I went with it.

That being said, I loved Ryx! Absolutely loved her and how mysterious her powers were. No idea how I would feel if I had her powers.. but then again if someone pissed me off I would just say - don't make me touch you. Besides that, she has one job - protect her home, tower, and the people within it. Okay, so more than one job but it's a lot for her to handle. It also doesn't help with her grandmother disappears after someone open something that was forbidden.

Honestly, this book had some interesting twist and turns. Some were a bit obvious but what happened after finding out made it a bit more interesting. At least for me. Other than that, all the characters made this a page turner (in a way). I'm definitely interested in the next book and I can't wait for it come out. I need some answers!

Time ever moves forward, and we’re constantly hit from all sides with all kinds of nasty stuff, but that means it’s more important than ever to take care of ourselves. And there’s nothing better than taking a step back and doing something good for yourself. From taking a hot bath to cleaning up your space to just sitting next to a window and taking a deep breath of fresh air, your mental well-being should be near the top of the list.

And one of the best ways I’ve been able to unwind lately is rereading THE OBSIDIAN TOWER by Melissa Caruso.

“Rereading?” you say, “but didn’t this book just come out?” It did! But Orbit was kind enough to send a copy my way and Melissa herself came to sit and talk about the first book of her latest trilogy, and that interview is out now on your favorite podcatcher!


If you’re not familiar with THE OBSIDIAN TOWER, here’s our Goodreads summary:

The mage-marked granddaughter of a ruler of Vaskandar, Ryx was destined for power and prestige at the top of Vaskandran society. But her magic is broken; all she can do is uncontrollably drain the life from everything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers.

Then, one night, two terrible accidents befall her: Ryx accidentally kills a visiting dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle.

Ryx flees, seeking a solution to her deadly magic. She falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts investigating the disturbance in Vaskandar—and Ryx realizes that her family is in danger and her domain is at stake. She and her new colleagues must return to the family stronghold to take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world.

So if you haven’t read the initial Swords and Fire trilogy, you don’t HAVE to before you pick up this installment, but you should definitely do it anyways because those books are actual, literal serotonin and make me enjoy getting up in the morning. I’ve got all three (not including an ARC of THE DEFIANT HEIR that I was gifted from The Library Ladies in a giveaway!) and I highly recommend just getting the entire series and binge-reading them like it’s fifth grade all over again.

So let’s talk.

I love this book.

End of discussion.

No, but seriously, let’s break it down.

The prose: The prose is beautiful and descriptive, and while we see where Melissa’s voice shines through, we also see where her character Ryx’s voice differs from her other POC protagonist Amalia. The prose takes your hand but is quick to snap you up by the lapels to say, “Hey, you wanna see a dead body?” before you can do anything to stop it. I’m not saying I’ve reread it multiple times, but I did read it throughout one weekend three weekends in a row, so that tells you right there that the writing doesn’t play.

The worldbuilding: We got hints of magic and politics in our previous trilogy, but THE OBSIDIAN TOWER blows the doors wide open on magic systems (and what they look like when they’re broken), and gives us another view of what influence magic can have on politics. Melissa has clearly spent a long while layering all the ins and outs of her political systems, and it shows so vividly here. And good god, the location itself in this book! You’ll have to listen to the podcast episode, but the bits and pieces of this castle and how they all weave together has me in utter awe, and I love it.

The characters: I am. So gay for everyone. Happy Pride, I’m here to be queer and love every single person in this book. But really, everyone has a unique voice and motive that carries through, nothing seems weird or out of character and everyone’s arc in this book feels good and conclusive (though lord knows I’m desperate for book 2 already and have been for EONS). With a wide cast, there’s always concern about characters running into another and getting tangled and indistinguishable from one another, but none of that nonsense is here. Everyone’s good, everyone’s solid, everyone’s so great and I am so madly, deeply in love.

I’m gonna marry this goddamn book and none of you can stop me.

BREAKIN’ THE LAW is out now on your favorite podcatcher, so go check out what Melissa’s got to say about this beautiful beast of a book, and be ready for me to break in your house and leave it under your pillow like the demented tooth fairy I am.
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Don't forget to check out our interview with Melissa, out now on your favorite podcatcher!

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso is one of those books that lured me in with the promise of prophecy and ancient magical secrets. These themes are common enough in epic fantasy stories, but Caruso puts her own spin on the tropes. The series takes place in the same world as Caruso's Sword & Fire trilogy, but is meant to stand alone. In this new series, Caruso continues her intricate world-building, with complex characters and an intriguing magical system. The Obsidian Tower is a compelling coming of age novel, and a solid beginning to a new fantasy series within an established world.

“Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war–nothing must unseal the door.”

These are the words that young Ryxander lives by, in her lonely castle of Gloamingard. Ryx lives with her powerful mage of a grandmother who is the guardian of their land. Her blood is tied directly to the earth, but Ryxander's magic is damaged. She comes from a long line of mages who can manipulate life forces to make things grow. But Ryx's magic can only make living things wither, and she can kill with a touch.

Unable to control her magic, Ryx has spent her life starved of touch and lonely for companionship. She cannot be the heir to the castle, she cannot make an advantageous marriage for her country. So she works instead as a diplomat, struggling to maintain a fragile peace among the divided nations who all treat magic very differently.

A magical incident - and an accidental death - kicks off the action in the book, and Caruso wastes no time getting there. What unfolds is a series of intrigues, with assassins trying to take down Ryx's family members as Ryx herself attempts to navigate politically charged waters in an effort to avoid a war. All this while an unknown dark magic seeps into the castle, and into the world beyond.

The characters in The Obsidian Tower are one of the book's strongest elements. Caruso introduces a fairly large ensemble cast, but each character is distinctive and comes to life vividly on the page. Ryx is a compelling character in her own right. She is a natural pacifist who is horrified at the fact that she has taken lives unwittingly. Ryx grapples with her own magical powers, and must make difficult choices for the good of her people. Because of her damaged magic, Ryx has been forced to develop other skills to help her country and she works hard at diplomacy, and to lead her people when her grandmother mysteriously disappears.

Ryx is also clearly lonely, and when she finally finds companions in the form of the Rookery she is joyful and apprehensive about finding others who understand her. The members of the Rookery are another group of unique characters, and it is clear that this book is setting up more adventures for them in the future. A group of magical scholars who remain neutral in political affairs, their job is investigate magical accidents and artifacts that might pose a threat to the world. Some of them are fighters, others are scholars, or diplomats. But they all clearly have their own personalities, and are fiercely loyal to one another.

It is also in this group that Caruso effortlessly weaves in bisexual characters and asexual characters, they are not unusual in the fantasy world that she has built. Ryx herself is clearly bisexual, and her attraction to both male and female characters is not considered unusual. There is also a gender-neutral character whose pronoun is they/them, another intriguing character whose gender status is simply part of who they are as opposed to something unnatural or strange in this world.

Caruso is deft in weaving political intrigue amongst the countries in the book. Ryx's home of Morgraine is part of Vaskander. This nation ruled by competing Witch Lords who are constantly trying to gain more power and land. In contrast is Revarra, a nation who has placed restrictions on magic and mages in power. These countries are very different in their approach to magic, and they naturally distrust one another. Characters from each area are introduced and their differing perspectives on the use of magic lends complexity to the subject.

The political tension is palpable throughout the book as Ryx struggles to maintain peace, and stave off a greater disaster. There are no clear good guys or bad guys when it comes to the countries involved. Instead Caruso makes it clear that each nation has their own strengths and weaknesses, and various factions that could make the world a much better or far worse place. This realistic approach to worldbuilding makes Caruso's setting feel grounded and believable.

And like so many politicians, it can be hard to know who can be trusted. Every character has their own motivation, and it is often not what you expect. Enemies turn out to be friends, and friends become enemies. Caruso's antagonists are hardly one-note. Each of them has their own reasoning for their actions and it is easy to understand why they act in certain ways. There is little in the way of binary good and evil in this book. Even the demons who threaten to spill out into the world and possess everyone have more nuance than expected. Caruso is clearly interested in what makes people tick, and why they choose certain paths. And in The Obsidian Tower, she explores that in a fascinating way that is sure to pay off in later books.

The Obsidian Tower is out now via Orbit Books. For more reviews and genre news, follow Comic Years on Facebook and Twitter today.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
The Obsidian Tower is apparently set in the same world as Caruso's previous series Swords and Fire. I did not know this going into it, but that did not really hinder me from enjoying the experience. I'm sure there were little nods to the other books that I missed, but this story was still wonderful. The plot drew me in and the pace was great. The world building was original and I can't wait to dive back into it. I've seen that the second in the series is slated to release sometime in 2021. During the waiting period, I'm going to pick up her previous series!

I really loved this book and I loved how she ended up joining that guild and solving mysteries. I really want another book for this one.

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso is an epic high fantasy that takes place in the same world as her Swords and Fire series. Nevertheless, this is not a series that requires the reader to be familiar with her previous series.

Excellent World-Building
Caruso is excellent with her world-building. There is just enough history and detail to give the reader an idea of this world without distracting from the plot. The reader understands the tenuous relationships between these characters and their kingdoms.

The history of this novel to include the Dark Days and the Nine Demons, was also something interesting. Demons are not unusual to fantasy novels, but the idea that there are precisely 9 is noteworthy. The way they exist; this idea of them being tied to magic is engaging, it offers the reader something interesting and creates a whole lot of interesting tension within the novel, guiding the plot along.

And the hierarchy of Witch Lords, those in possession of magic, in appealing. While the idea of holding those with magic as the aristocracy is not unique, the idea within this novel sets up excellent tension. Ryx has magic but it is broken and keeps her from being accepted among her kind. However, her magic is something else entirely, something powerful, that slowly develops throughout the novel.

A Shining Relatable Protagonist
While her magic is broken, different, it allows Ryx to be vibrant.

Ryx is such a compelling protagonist. Ryx has always felt alone with her power, keeping up this barrier between her and others, keeping her from living. There is so much inner turmoil she has to overcome while she also deals with political and magical upheaval. While that is all great, what makes Ryx shine is her personality. She is a fierce character and Caruso brings her to life so well that the reader can perfectly imagine every sigh, eye-roll, and face-palm event that makes her want to pull her hair out. That kind of writing entrances the reader and makes Ryx believable and relatable.

Final Thoughts
Overall, The Obsidian Tower is a great introduction to a new series. There is a great diverse cast of characters, all of whom are unpredictable that, alongside the plot, keep the reader engaged until the very end.

I absolutely loved Caruso's Tethered Mage trilogy, so I was 100% onboard with checking out her new trilogy, Rooks and Ruin. That said, I was also a bit nervous about it, because I knew I'd have high expectations after reading Tethered Mage. While The Obsidian Tower took a bit to hook into me, once it did, it did not let go.

Obsidian Tower takes place in Vaskandar, starring a mage with broken magic. In a country where everyone is a vivomancer, Ryxander can only destroy things by her touch, which makes her a pariah among everyone, including her family. What starts as a diplomatic meeting for peace quickly turns into mayhem, where Ryxander is constantly dancing on the edge of a knife blade.

Nearly every chapter had a new twist and turn, which lead me to reading long into the night well after when I should have retired. All of these twists could have become cumbersome and annoying, but they were incorporated very well with the chaos building throughout the story.

One thing Caruso has always done well was add romance or hints of romance in her books without making it a romance book. Romance is a sub-plot within a sub-plot, possibly within another sub-plot. The Obsidian Tower was no exception. Romantic ideas flitted about, but romance was never the focus of the story, nor did it define any of the characters. In the world of fantasy with women protagonists, I cannot tell you how refreshing this is.

The big reason why I'm giving this four stars out of five is because I predicted a traitor well before it was spelled out. I kept hoping I was wrong, since there were so many well done plot twists. However, even predicting this character didn't take away my enjoyment of the title. As such, I cannot wait for the second entry of this trilogy.

The mages of Vaskandar have the power to give life to their land and to their kingdoms. Ryxander of Gloamingard is cursed with broken magic that takes life and destroys all that she touches. In order to save her kingdom from an unfathomable threat, Ryx must use her weakness to her advantage whilst holding off a cavalcade of determined interlopers.

I had a really fun time with this book. Each page crackles with magic. Caruso’s writing flows well and moves the narrative forward at a swift pace with a steady stream of action and court intrigue throughout. The world of Eruvia is nicely fleshed out, as well. It helps that Caruso has already written a trilogy in this setting, but she lays out the conflicts, local histories, and magic systems in a clear and digestible way for a new reader.

Ryx is a worthy protagonist with very obvious flaws to overcome. Her humanity and search for connection keep her relatable and easy to root for. While the book’s ending does not offer much closure, there’s enough magic in the pages of The Obsidian Tower to bring me back for book number two.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.