I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a honest review.

The beginning of this book was simply fantastic. There was intrigue, complicated politics, interesting magic. However, I thought it only stayed this way for maybe the first half. I thought at one point there was way too many characters that either weren't needed, or were barely even involved. I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and where they were from. The main characters magic sort of stopped being an obstacle once she contained it. The stakes were sort of lowered as well. The danger didn't seem to be all that dangerous anymore.

The writing was very good. I liked the style and the pacing, and the author has a real knack for detailed descriptions. I felt that I could visualize myself being in the book very easily. Overall it was a good book but just had some things that didn't hit right with me.

The Obsidian Tower, by author Melissa Caruso, begins a new epic fantasy trilogy called Rooks and Ruins in which the broken magic of one woman will either save an entire continent-or completely destroy it. This story takes place 150 years after the ending of Swords and Fire. The author has created an entirely new cast of characters so you can either choose to read this book first and then go back to the previous series or read the previous series first. Either way it's the same world so it's your choice.


As the granddaughter of an immortal Witch Lord (Lady of Owls) of Vaskandar and a line of Royal Vivomancers, Exalted Ryxander (Ryx) was destined for power and prestige. But a childhood illness left her with broken magic that drains the life from anything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers. Ryx has resigned herself to an isolated life as the Warden of Gloamingard, her grandmother’s castle. But, Ryx has other plans as well. As the story opens, she readies to host a peace conference between the Serene Empire, Akevar, and Vaskandar before a war breaks out.


Ryx's country of Morgain lays directly between Akevar and the Serene Empire so they have everything to lose if the peace treaty talks go sideways. To make things more interesting, at Gloamingard’s heart lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained by Ryx's family for thousands of years. When an unwanted visitor gets too curious about the Black Door and what's behind it, Ryx accidentally kills the dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle. What happens next could unleash a threat that could doom everything she loves to fall to darkness with no hopes of a peaceful solution to a possible war.


Ryx falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts (Rookery) 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 (Asheva, Bastian, Foxglove, Kessa) must take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world. But, with players from all sides chirping in with their approval or suggestions as to what happens next to the artifact, time may be running out until someone reveals Ryx's murder of someone close to the Shrike Lord of Akevar, time may be running out quickly for Ryx and her new friends.


When Ryx finds a way of subduing her ability to drain life, it's genuinely touching to see her coming to terms with being able to have physical contact. It's also a direct conflict between her family who believes being under anyone's control is unimaginable. There's a fair amount of intrigue between Ryx and her grandmother who is really a center piece to this story and what happens. Much of the story revolves around courtly intrigue and politics as the different kingdoms and the empire vie for power.


As delegations from other kingdoms come to engage in peace talks, Ryx finds a spy in their midst. Courtly intrigue ensues as Ryx also realizes that some of their “allies” are a little too interested in the tower that her family guards. There’s a good amount of diversity in this book as well, with a non binary character, bisexual character, and lesbian characters. There is minor romance possibilities in this book as well between Ryx and others, including Severin who really steps up when things get dangerous for Ryx.

How have I not read any Melissa Caruso before? (The answer is that I’m just now getting into adult fantasy, but ignore that.) A lot of reviewers talk about preferring plot or characters. I don’t have a preference- I want the book to be exciting but I also want the characters to be. I think this book really hit that nail on the head. I loved Ryx as a main character, I really identify with her. In addition, the other characters that popped up were all delightful to read about. I especially love Whisper; sassy ‘animal’ characters are my thing.

In addition, I loved the magic system. I like the idea of magic being tied to the land. While I found the two warring political systems and their treatment of the magic both flawed, I found them intriguing to read about. I typically don’t get this invested in political systems in books, so that’s definitely a positive.

Finally, I loved how dark this got. I really favor dark fantasies, even dipping into horror. I wasn’t expecting this book to be like that, but it became very dark AND I LOVED IT. I haven’t been this joyful over a dark tinge in a book since Gideon the Ninth.

My only real criticism of the book is that I felt the very ending got a little boring once the climax was done, but I understand that the next book had to be set up. I’m eagerly awaiting that next book and I am totally going to look into the author’s past books.

"Guard the tower, ward the stone
Find your answers writ in bone
Keep your trust through wits or war:
Nothing must unseal the Door"

I have not read any of Caruso's other works but this story takes place in the same realm of her Swords and Fire series. You don't need to have read that series first to enjoy this one though. I enjoyed it quite well, knowing nothing of the previous series beforehand.

With it's quick paced plot and chaos insuing right fromthe start, this book is a page turner.

We first meet Ryx who is from a line of witch lords where powers are passed along the family line. But somehow Ryx's magic as backfired and instead of making things better, she can kill with a touch. I loved watching her character development.

I would say this story was more about court intrigue and character/world building than anything but I didn't mind and I believe it was a good start to this new series.

Now that I know there are other stories in this same realm, I will definitely be checking those out. Caruso does a wonderful job of drawing you into her world with her writing.

“Well, that’s what life is, isn’t it?” Bastian let out a nervous sort of laugh. “You learn that the world isn’t what you thought it was. That your greatest truths are only stories, and the nightmares you thought were lies are truth.”⁣⁣
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First and foremost, thank you Orbit and Netgalley for an advance readers copy of The Obsidian Tower in return for an honest review.⁣
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Second, that map though!!⁣
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The Obsidian Tower was an amazing book! Melissa Caruso created a magical world that’s not even remotely complicated, which is something to be said. I instantly felt connected with every character. They’re so well written and human. From the beginning, the story draws you in with Ryx and her cursed magic. It was such a pleasure reading how the plot played out.⁣
Another great thing is the character diversity. There ere so many different types of characters and it all meshed so well that it felt seamless. Caruso did an amazing job with her character building. I don’t think I’ve read another book yet that has done this so well.⁣
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I can’t wait to snatch up the second book!

Thank you to the publisher on Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy they've given me in exchange for an honest review! (...and to Emily A. Duncan for recommending it on her Twitter!!!)

This was such a perfectly crafted narrative! The pacing was always bang on. With all the political intrigue and negotiations working as the focal point of the plot, you might expect there to be a lull, but the minute things start slowing down, you can always expect a shocking reveal or excitement afoot. It clipped along so smoothly and every single time there was an important question raised, it was answered by the end of the novel, and anything still left on the table was hinted at for the sequel.

It might just be the fact that I don't read adult fantasy that often, but I also found it incredibly refreshing to have a 20-something aged female protagonist who knew exactly what she was doing, and was on top of everything. She was in charge and clearly comfortable in her role, even when she's conflicted toward her options. It was so nice to have a female protagonist with total agency, who made her own decisions, and was never forced into anything by the other characters. Everything she did she chose to do herself. What's more, she has control over the factions around her, and she knows how to play the political game. To me, this is such a rarity for a fantasy protagonist, who tends to be beholden to someone more powerful or older than them. And the choices Ryx is making come with high stakes no matter what she does. I just loved that she had power and agency despite being put in a tough, complex position.

With a fantasy novel with such a huge cast of characters like this one, it's sometimes hard to keep everyone straight, but every single person in this novel served a purpose, and when they did what they needed to do, they didn't linger to become excess weight. A lot of these things I'm commenting on are exactly what I wanted out of Gideon the Ninth. This is exactly what I wanted out of that: really natural quick pacing and easily distinguishable characters that add to the overall mystery.

This is a bit of a rare moment for me, but I found it incredibly easy to root for the central romance. Severin is a complex, broody character who struggles with his internal conflict that matches Ryx's incredibly well. They've got great chemistry together, and they constantly make you wonder whether they're going to betray one another at any moment when it comes to choosing sides in the diplomatic fight over power over the kingdom.

I also really want to give a shout out to the asexual representation in this novel. It was mentioned in a simple little conversation that honestly didn't need to be included, but I'm so grateful it was! This was the first book I've ever read where I've seen ace representation included in such a natural way. Frankly, I'm a little surprised that of all the queer representation other reviewers are gushing over for The Obsidian Tower, the ace rep hasn't gotten a mention yet! But it's there, and I was absolutely delighted by that.

I just thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Just really well executed in absolutely every way. Brava!

Ryx is broken. She's a mage who shouldn't ever access her magic for fear of killing everything and everyone near her. It's ironic then that, when it comes down to protecting her realm from demons, everyone's depending on her.
What I loved most about this book was the range of representation. Ryx is bisexual without ever outrightly saying so. One of her friends uses the pronoun "they" without explanation. People just are what they are, no details provided because none are owed.
One of the biggest questions this book poses is- what makes us human? What makes us good or bad or perhaps we're inherently both. That it can do this with a compelling story in an inventive world is really something.

There are two kinds of magic. The kind of wonder and the diaster kind. Ryxs was the second kind. Her father's could turn fields green while her magic could accidentally kill someone .Entering the stables was dangerous to the horses . I really like the name Ryxander .It was a build up of suspense getting into the world building . I was interested in Lamiel and I liked her name . I thought Ryxander was intriguing.

I really enjoyed this book. It's well written with a cast of interesting characters. There was a lot going on in the book, but Melissa does a great job of explaining things and keeping the story going. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I adored this book! I loved this new (to me) world, the magic system, the characters.

The main character is a very strong, but very lonely and deprived girl. All her life not being able to enjoy a human touch, living her life on the edge and in constant fear. And then the hell breaks loose literally in the castle. That was the dark twist and I really enjoyed it. Overall her broken magic, the Obsidian Tower, and its secrets were dark and creepy and I'm all for it.

What I didn't expect was all the politics. It was a bit much and locked the novel in a very stagnant place. I kept hoping for a bit of an adventure, but that never really came.

The character diversity and inclusivity was a fresh addition. I also enjoyed that none of the love interests were overly in your face. The angst wasn't overpowering and it felt natural. The focus was on the characters and their growth.

I can't wait for the second book and returning to this world. This deserves all the fantasy fandom!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are solely my own and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.

Damn. Dayum.

This book. I love a big fat volume of words, and I absolutely adore when that big fat volume is as well-written as this one. I’m not sure how I’ve never come across Caruso before, but she’s got a new fan in this reader.

I’m sorry, I’m still trying to get my thoughts in order. The magic system and the world were just so well thought out that I got immediately sucked in. I’ve never seen opposite magics done this way before, and Ryx’s internal struggles were so real to me. I wanted to just reach through the pages and hug her. :(

This is on our purchase list, and I can’t wait to put it into ad many patrons’ hands as possible.

I thought this was a great start to the trilogy. We have mysterious magical artifacts, murder mysteries, political discord, chimeras (which are always fun), and really great LGBT+ representation. There were lots of questions that I had a long away, and some were answered and some were left unanswered which makes me keen to discover the answers in the next two books.

As much as I enjoyed the plot and the mysteries, the characters are what drove this book home for me. I love captivating and morally grey characters. Ryx, our main character has a magic that everyone else considers “broken”. Any living thing she touches dies. I thought she was a solid main character. Not my favourite in the book but she was interesting and witty enough to hold my attention (important as this is told as first person). The Rookery were my favourites, especially Ashe. I really love her “stab first, ask questions later” attitude, though the rest of the Rookery do a good job at holding her back from those impulses. Severin was another interesting character. A bit of a mystery most of the book, you never knew what side he was on. Speaking of characters their was quite a bit of representation that I really loved to see; bisexual main character, a non-binary character, a potentially asxual/ maybe aromantic character, and some potential lesbian characters. As it is only the first book I expect my “potentials” will become more clear.

Then there is Gloamingard. This is the name of Ryx’s grandmothers castle and where the majority of the story takes place. I really loved Gloamingard. I found it fascinating how every new Witch Lord would add to the castle, with an end result with various secret passages, and various rooms built quite differently, from bones to plants and trees. Looking at the map, this world is quite vast. In this first book we did not do much exploring, but I look forward to exploring more of the world of Eruvia in the coming books.

Really the only faults I can say is that I found the beginning a little slow to captivate me, and that I was not crazy over how the end conflict was resolved. The latter is more of a preference thing. There was just a lot of talking to get out of a couple tight spots where I was just thinking “do the antagonists really not know what is going on?” I am also on the fence with the magic system. Maybe it is because we did not get much from it in this first book. I would love to learn more about the magic of this world. Really just a few minor things. The ending itself was good, in that it resolved some conflicts while leaving/creating more for the upcoming books to solve.

In conclusion I would recommend this book to someone who loves magic and mystery mixed with some fantasy politics.

I enjoyed The Obsidian Tower (Rooks and Ruin #1). The novel started off quick with lots of action and slowed down as we met the cast of characters and how they related to Ryx, the main character. It has the feel of a mystery with a background of fantasy. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it set up the following book quite well. I look forward to reading book 2.

I really loved Melissa Caruso's original trilogy, rating and reviewing them all pretty highly. So I was excited to see that she was coming out with a new series so quickly, and one that is set in the same world, no less! Vaskandar and its very different society and approach to magic was one of the more intriguing aspects of the original series, so I was particularly interested to see how that would work in this new story. While I wasn't quite as blown away as I was with the first book in her other trilogy, overall, I still very much enjoyed this one.

While Ryx's life has never been ordinary (her broken magic that kills anything she touches has prevented that), she has managed to make a place for herself in her powerful grandmother's land. She not only manages the large familial estate that houses an ancient secret, but she's become adept at political maneuvering and negotiation. These skills become all the more important when things go deadly wrong the eve before important negotiations between Vaskandar and Ravera. But they won't be enough to combat the ancient evil that has been unleashed, forcing Ryx to turn to a society made up of magical experts in whose hands might rest the future of both nations.

As I said, I was really interested in checking out this book when I learned it was set in Vaskadar. That country had played a fairly large role as the villains in the previous series, and their approach to magic, culture, and societal structure differed greatly from Ravera. Ryx is an interesting entry point into this world. She is born into a powerfully magical family and does have the important ring in her eyes that designates her as a magic user, a marker that distinguishes her as someone important. However, her experience with magic has been the opposite of that of most everyone else's. Instead of opening doors and leading to a  life of power and influence, her magic has done nothing but close them. With anything she touches dying on contact, the only life she can make for herself is one that is strictly guided by distancing rules and made up of people who know to keep their distance. Where in the previous book, we saw mages struggle against the restrictions that wearing a jess (a magical tool that contains a magic user's power) brought on, Ryx has always longed for the freedom that one would grant her.

Her story throughout this book was very compelling, learning more about her own magic and the unexpected roles she can play in a world that she had thought off limits to her. We see a character who has never felt like she belonged in her powerful family, but whose very identity is caught up in the guardianship of the land and people that family holds dear. She's a novice at forming relationships with new people, and we see her struggle to learn how to have friends and, maybe, even romantic relationships.

I also liked the greater exploration of Vaskandar and the rules and cultural norms that were so different than what we saw of Ravera in the previous series. The power structure is built into every aspect of Vaskandar society, and we see both the strengths this gives their society as well as the weaknesses it opens up. Because their power and long lives are connected to the land, Vaskandar has an uneasy relationship with borders, and it's easy to see why tensions have historically been high with its neighbor nations. But here, the book veers off the expected course, and we see a new enemy arise. This was a nice switch from the Vaskandar vs. Ravera tensions from the first series which would have felt like a retread had it been repeated here.

I did struggle with the pacing of the story. Thinking back over it, while there are definitely tense moments, action-packed scenes, and a nice climax at the end of the book, while reading it, I felt like it was moving very slowly. The first half in particular seemed to really strain to get going. Some aspects of the story felt rushed (the building of character relationships, for example), but many of the actual plot points were talked about quite a lot before they actually happened. I think it could have been edited down and streamlined a bit.

But, like I said, other bits felt rushed. Ryx seems to meet the members of this magical society, and then in a hot minute become instant friends with them all and implicitly trust them. She shares crucial information with them and seems to be immediately accepted on the same level. I get that her joining up with these folks was a large point of the book and the series as a whole, but it kind of felt like the author was in such a rush to get to that, that she just skipped the natural build that is needed in developing these types of relationships. I had similar problems with the romance which seemed to kind of come out of nowhere. Ultimately, I was able to get on board with it, but it was a bit jarring.

While not the perfect start to a new series, this book definitely set the stage for what could be an excellent series. Ryx is a great main character, and the author has expanded the world-building out quite a bit with the introduction of the new evil force they will be working against. I found some of the twists and turns slightly predictable, and the pacing felt off at times. But I think if you enjoyed the author's first series, this one is well worth checking out as well!

(Link will go live June 12)

I could probably go on for ages about not only how clever the writing of The Obsidian Tower is, but also how much I loved the casual queerness of it. The Obsidian Tower is full of secrets, a story about family obligations and duty, and forbidden truths. You know when you're told you absolutely, under no circumstance, can enter that door because something dark and magical and dangerous is behind it? Well we all know that OF COURSE we want to go in. Who doesn't? Those giant red buttons that say "Do Not Touch"? If you ever wondered not only what is behind those doors, but also how the world would change if if you even touched them - then you definitely should pick up The Obsidian Tower.

But amidst a quest of magical exploration and secrets, of stories that may lead to darker truths, and casual glances that could kill, Ryx is struggling to keep the world from falling into war. The Obsidian Tower has all these complex levels - the mystical and magical mystery, the political tension, and Ryx's own powers and future. While I'm all here for the political fantasy, what I loved about The Obsidian Tower was how it explores rulership and duty, as well as power and family.

*** DNF @ 40 %

The Obsidian Tower is really interesting for the most part. I enjoyed the different take on magic. I really felt a connection to the protagonist, however at 40% I am still confused. There are a lot of new terms that I am just not used to and that combined with too many characters is making it difficult to keep up. I feel like I need a vision board with cords and notes on all the characters and their interests. I liked a lot of the characters but again, with it being a whole new world I found it was lacking ease of understanding. I am curious as to how it will all work out for Ryx, but I just cannot get over the confusion hump.
I also found it odd that the grandmother, who is the leader, disappears and yet no one takes any steps to locate her.
I hope to one day finish the book to know how it ends for all involved but for now I have to move onto other things or find myself in a reading slump.

Title: The Obsidian Tower
Author: Malissa Caruso
Pub. Date: June 2, 2020
Rating: 4.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been almost 24 hours since I’ve finished this book and I’m still impressed. I’m pretty sure I requested this book months ago because Emily A. Duncan (author of Wicked Saints) was screaming about it on Twitter. Then time passed and my urge to read it dwindled. I read it anyways, because I needed to, and it comes out in a week.

I am so glad that I read this.

It’s one of those books that the more you think about it after finishing reading it, the more you realize like, damn, that was amazing. I was a little unsure going into this book, I wasn’t sure if it was ultimately going to be something I’d enjoy. I’ll admit I went into it a little closeminded, but it didn’t take long for it to hook me. I was invested.

I kind of got a Knives Out vibe from it. The mystery, the thrilling almost absurdity of trying to piece together everything that’s happening…it makes for a really fun read.

I mean, so much happens in this book from the very beginning. It starts off with a confrontation, and just keeps going. You’re not really sure who to trust, who to back, but you’re totally on Ryx’s side, but everyone else around her gets massive side eye.

I thought the pacing of this book was so well done and so much was packed into this story. It never felt crowded or rushed, and the world – Gloamingard in particular is so interesting. It was kind of easy to picture Gloamingard, and I loved how with each new ruler, more was added on to the castle. That it was this hodgepodge of styles and architecture.

This book hooks you from the very beginning, with a murder mystery plot, a revenge plot, magic and mayhem, characters that defy expectations all with some dark and twisty moments that will leave you wanting more.

I’m so glad that I was wrong about my expectations for this book. I’m still blown away by this book, and I really cannot wait for book 2. I want it so badly and I cannot wait to see what happens next and see what the Rookery gets up to.

Can things be any more chaotic for Ryx as she attempts to negotiate peace between two lands, de-escalate a Shrike Lord’s desire for vengeance, learn how to bring her own broken magic under control, and deal with the aftermath of unexpected guests, all the while trying to identify what a secret artifact is, the danger it possesses and identify a solution to fix it without anyone finding out and starting all-out war? That’s not to mention what I am intentionally leaving out of this list just to keep from spoiling anything.

It all begins when the Shrike Lord’s fiancee, Lamiel, unexpectedly arrives at Gloamingard Castle one day before diplomats are scheduled to arrive to negotiate a treaty. Eager to secretly discover what Gloamingard protects and keeps hidden, Lamiel trespasses where she shouldn’t and starts a chain of events with consequential outcomes.

Set in the same world as Melissa Caruso’s Sword’s and Fire series, we are introduced to Ryx who is the Warden of Gloamingard. Ryx’s bloodline is one of vivomancers, but due to an illness when she was young Ryx’s magic is broken and instead of life and creation, her magic brings death. She is the family embarrassment, except to her grandmother who believes in her.

Around 20-30%, I almost stopped reading the book. Something about where the story was at the moment wasn’t keeping me interested. I put it down for a while and then came back and the book I thought I was reading turned out to be something quite different. It becomes a political nightmare for Ryx as we watch her juggle all the different chaotic events going on around her. At one point, another unexpected event happened that took me by complete surprise. So sure was I that Ryx had enough chaos in her life at that moment that she couldn’t possibly fit one more into it. Apparently, I was wrong.

As much as I enjoyed all the disastrous events exploding around Ryx, at times in the latter portion of the book it did become a little overwhelming. This was especially true when I would pick the book back up after being away from it and had to remember all that was going on. Don’t get me wrong – I liked that there was a lot to the plot, but it still took time to remember where Severin was in his transformation or at what stage of research the Rookery was at and so forth. I also suspect there are some thinner plot moments in how some of the political maneuvering and decisions get resolved, but because it could be a little dizzying I haven’t tried to work through all that yet.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available on June second.
This book was a mixed bag for me. There were things I liked, and other things that just didn’t work. You can’t please everyone all the time, you know? I’ll talk about the good, the not-so-good, and the annoying.

First of all, I liked most of the characters. The main character, Ryxander, confused me with her odd choices (if there’s something actively dangerous going on, maybe save the half-hearted attempts at diplomacy for later?), but the supporting characters were great. I really enjoyed Foxglove and Ardith. They were both so unique in their own ways. Ardith, in particular, was a blast to read. They had a devil-may-care attitude that just might have covered something far deeper. It was an intriguing thought.
The magic system in the book was fascinating. I liked that Ryxander had an incredibly strong power, but it was considered “broken” because it was so dangerous and impossible to control. Seeing how that power affected her negatively, as well as anyone else unfortunate enough to be caught in its path, was really cool.
The idea of a dangerous secret lurking deep within a castle was an interesting one, and the actuality of the secret was really cool. It was not at all what I expected. Where things went from there, though…
I felt like I spent the majority of this book waiting for something to happen, with no payoff. There were so many times where I thought, “Ah! This is it! It was all setup and now I get to see why!,” only to find more exposition, and more reiteration of the same political situation. There’s a possibility that it will all pay off in the second book, but I don’t know if I want to take that chance.
I also could not get a handle on Ryxander. She seemed to be very smart, but only in one aspect. Most of her choices left me scratching my head (metaphorically, of course). I didn’t understand why she prioritized things that were less of an immediate problem, as opposed to serious dangers.
One last thing that rankled at me: the use of the word “chimera” for creatures that were truly anything but. Now, this is a problem with me, not with the book. A chimera as I’ve always read it is a two-headed monster (one is a goat head, the other a lion head) with a snake’s head as the tail. While the chimeras in this book were incredibly creative, I wish they’d been called by any other name. Again, this is just an issue with my weird fantasy hang-ups and in no way affects the quality of the writing.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The worst part is that since I received an ARC copy of this book I am going to have to wait an extra long time for the next book to get released. I need it, and I need it now! I want to see Ryx grow into her power.

I had some problems getting into the story, but that was because I have been working 10 hour shifts at work and my reading time has been super sporadic.

The Rookery is full of super fun and unique characters. I would love to know more about them and I hope in the next book we get to read about their personal histories. Severin is also an interesting person. I didn't really like him in the beginning but he grew on me pretty fast.