Lots of action, intrigue, and some romance are found in this fantasy. This is a multiple POV story which I think adds to the adventure as you get to see so many perspectives. This is a good start to a new fantasy series.

Anyone who loves A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas will love this. I'm one of those readers! As the author herself says, she was inspired by those characters and A Court of Crows clearly shows that inspiration but presented a new and engaging way that makes the ideas all her own and draws you in straight away to her world. All the main characters are nuanced and fallible but you can't resist any of them and want to know more about them. I just can't wait for the next installment! How long do we need to wait??

Sono rimasta piacevolmente colpita da questo libro! Non conoscevo l'autrice e devo dire che sono stata conquistata subito dai personaggi e dalla storia di "A court of crows".
In breve la storia racconta di questo regno umano, guidato dalla regina Eris, la prima regina che ci sia mai stata a comando di un regno umano, che viene attaccato e messo sotto assedio da un esercito di elfi.
Purtroppo nessun regno alleato risponde alle richieste di aiuto di Eris e quindi si rivolge a un gruppo di mercenari che si fanno chiamare i Corvi.
A capo di questo gruppo ci sono 4 comandanti (uno ovviamente più particolare dell'altro): Ruith il comandante a capo di tutto l'esercito, Aryn a capo dello spionaggio e degli assassini, Katyr a capo dei maghi e Ieduin a capo degli arcieri.
Sin dal primo incontro tra Eris e Ruith scoppiano scintille e tra i due nasce molto velocemente un sentimento che non staranno certo attenti a nascondere. Non sono gli unici comunque a trovare molto attraenti le persone con cui dovranno avere a che fare in questo lungo assedio.
Fortunatamente la storia non è basata solo su grandi ed epiche battaglie, ma sceglie sopratutto di mostrare alcuni momenti più familiari tra i mercenari, Eris e le sue guardie e altri personaggi all'interno delle mura di Brucia. Non mancheranno comunque momenti in cui le spade e le battaglie avranno l'attenzione di tutti i partecipanti alla storia, bilanciando col giusto ritmo la storia che altrimenti sarebbe molto dedicata al romance.
Probabilmente avrei apprezzato se il libro fosse stato più lungo e l'intreccio della storia più elaborato, ma dato che il libro mi ha convinta sin dalle prime pagine, glielo posso sicuramente perdonare.
Ci sono ovviamente però molte cose che van migliorate. Alcuni piccoli colpi di scena erano prevedibili e molte cose già viste in altri libri o serie tv.
Come ho potuto apprendere dalla divertentissima nota che l'autrice ha aggiunto alla fine del libro, lei disdegnava con tutta se stessa i libri fantasy romance, ma la Bardugo e la Maas (santa donna!) l'hanno fortunatamente convertita e le hanno aperto gli occhi. Infatti vedo molto Cassian (con un pizzico di Wraith della BDB nell'aspetto fisico) in Ruith e il modo di narrare gli eventi durante l'assedio è molto simile a La corte di nebbia e furia. E questi sono solo due similitudini che ho notato, ma ce ne sono molte altre. Non mi han dato fastidio comunque, perchè il libro è scorrevole e l'autrice scrive molto bene.
Ho trovato il livello di inglese molto semplice e quindi non ho avuto nessuna difficoltà a seguire la storia.
Avrei voluto sicuramente vedere molto di più durante il finale e non vedo l'ora di continuarea leggere il libro successivo. Spero inoltre davvero che si impegni ancora di più con i libri successivi e continui a non disdegnare le storie d'amore perchè se rendi felice qualcuno con i tuoi libri dovresti esserne estremamente soddisfatto e fiero!

Grazie a Netgalley per avermi permesso di leggerlo!
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I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I did not know the author and I must say that I was immediately conquered by the characters and the story of "A court of crows".
In short, the story tells of this human kingdom, led by Queen Eris, the first queen ever to command a human kingdom, who is attacked and besieged by an army of elves.
Unfortunately, no allied human kingdom responds to Eris's requests for help and therefore she turns to a group of mercenaries who call themselves the Crows.
At the head of this group there are 4 commanders (one obviously more handsome than the other): Ruith the commander at the head of the whole army, Aryn at the head of espionage and assassins, Katyr at the head of the mages and Ieduin at the head of the archers .
Since the first meeting Eris and Ruith love sparks burst between them and feelings arises very quickly between the two, that they will certainly not be careful to hide. And they are not the only ones who find the people they will have to deal with in this long siege very attractive.
Fortunately, the story is not based only on large and epic battles, but mostly chooses to show some more familiar moments between the mercenaries, Eris and her guards and other characters within the walls of Brucia. However, there will be moments in which the swords and battles will have the attention of all the participants in the story, balancing the story with the right rhythm that would otherwise be very dedicated to romance .
I probably would have appreciated if the book had been longer and the story plot more elaborate, but since the book has convinced me from the very first pages, I can certainly forgive it.
But there are obviously many things that need to be improved. Some small twists were predictable and many things already seen in other books or TV series.
As I learned from the hilarious note the author added at the end of the book, she disdained fantasy romance books with all her heart, but Bardugo and Maas (holy woman!) fortunately converted her and opened her eyes. In fact I see a lot of Cassian (with a hint of BDB's Wraith in the physical aspect) in Ruith and the way of narrating the events during the siege is very similar to The Court of Mist and Fury. And these are just two similarities I've noticed, but there are many more. They didn't bother me anyway, because the book is smooth and the author writes very well.
I found the level of English very simple and therefore I had no difficulty following the story.
I definitely wanted to see a lot more during the finale and can't wait to continue reading the next book. I also really hope that she will commit even more to the next books and continue not to disdain love stories because if you make someone happy with your books you should be extremely satisfied and proud of them!

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read it!

4.75 🍭🍭🍭🍭🍭

I simply couldn’t put this down! Fantasy is a genre I enjoy, but strangely, is not one of my first choices. However, I’m super glad I went for this book! The cover called me

I loved the main characters, but the secondary ones have my heart and my attention in the same way!

The plot keeps getting better and better. I need book 2 and loved the couple (didn’t see that coming). Also, more of Isaac and Kat, please! They are lovely 💜

Thank you E.E for providing the NetGalley ARC

A 3.5 stars read that I really enjoyed!

A Court of Crows follows Queen Eris, a young heir to the throne whom no one expected to take charge of the city/state of Brucia. After the city is threaten and sieged by an ancient enemey she is forced to hire a band of mercenaries, the Crows, to help defeat this threat.

As the political intrigue and war unfolds, we find ourselves following not only the storyline of our Queen but also of some fellow crows and side characters that made the story even more intriguing and coloful.

I really enjoyed that the central conflict is based on the state being seiged by this big army, usually you encounter stories where the conlfict is on open field or even a quest, this however felt very original and fresh. You can see the strategy and thought that has to go into planning rationing, managing crowds and even managing the counsel of the queen itself. Plently of mystery and betrayels are also sprinkled over the novel.

While the pacing and the writing was very good for the most part, I do have to confess that I felt it dragged slightly in the middle making me loose interest a tiny bit, it picked up by the end so everything was ok. If you are looking for a fantasy romance that has more romance than fantasy this might not be the book for you, the actual non-romance plot was very heavy and I think it was the perfect balance so that the book felt like it has substance.


Would I recommend this book?

If you are looking for a fun read with a lot of political intrigue, with a strong main character and some spice... Yep! this could be for you. This could be really appealing for lovers of books like: A deal with the Elf King / A dance with the Elf Prince - Elise Kova, Throne of Glass - SJM, Bridge Kingdom - Danielle L Jensen.

I actually look forward to book 2


Thank you netgally for the opportunity to read this on advance! This thoughts an opinions are my own.

*inhales the deepest of breaths* STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!!

I can't believe that this book hasn't blown up more because it's phenomenal and absolutely deserves it. I don't want to summarize the book because I think the blurb does a beautiful job, so I'll just focus on what I liked.

Let's start off with how magnificently well-rounded it is. Most books that usually follow this type of plot are heavily character-driven, with the majority of the narrative focusing on the main characters and their interpersonal relationships. Which, by the way, there is absolutely nothing wrong with - sometimes that's all you need. But this book has that and more! There are action-packed fighting scenes, tactical war meetings that make you feel like you're there and have you stopping to think, "wow, that's an impressive strategy!" and a complex magical system that enchants you until the very last page - not to mention the spicier scenes! Omg, and the humor!! OMG, AND THE DOG!! There's just so much substance that makes the story vividly colorful and abundant.

Another massive plus is that A Court of Crows is a triumph of representation and inclusivity! There's so much queer, and I adored every moment of it. And because it's multiple-POV, we get a lot more access to those characters and their perspectives than we usually would - which I so fucking appreciate because it removes any possible tokenization. It bothers the hell out of me when authors only add a whisper of queerness to their books for the sake of appearing inclusive, but our Crows are shouting "We're here, and we're queer!" from the proverbial mountaintop. And yes, the queer relationships are more in the sub-plot of this one, but the remaining books in the series promise more of a spotlight for those connections - I'm stupidly excited for one in particular.

More than the actual representation of these characters, and what I think is a shining achievement in Eliza's writing - is the predominant ideology of openmindedness. Not just for the queer rep - for everyone. It's shown primarily through our leading man Ruith, this concept that one should only be judged by what they do versus who or what they are. The narrative brings awareness to the societal frameworks of class, gender, sex, race, etc., in a subtle but revealing way, and it's refreshing to see in a fantasy novel.

While few, there are still elements to the book that I think could have been more polished. For one, I noticed tiny plot holes - small enough that I could easily fill in the blanks in my mind, but I can see how others might not want to do that. However, they could be quickly rectified in any of the upcoming sequels, so I don't see it as a huge offense. On top of that, while there were no apparent cliffhangers at the end, there was a bit of a lack of closure and expected conversations that didn't happen - but again, easily fixed by the fact that there will be more books to come. There were other chinks in the metaphorical armor, but honestly, the positive elements of this book were so plentiful that I couldn't care less about a few minor imperfections.

Suffice it to say, I am enamored with this universe, and I can't fucking wait to see more of it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grim Cat Press LLC, for the e-book!

Link to Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4612342430

This was so good. When I started this, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I laughed several times, mostly because of Ieduin. I loved the humor in this so much.
I loved the main characters, especially the Crow commanders. All the characters were really well developed and felt real (and there was a lot of different representation). Multiple POV's added to the characters and I was never annoyed that the POV changed (unlike some books). My favourite character might've been Ieduin (I think I have a bias towards funny characters) but I honestly can't choose. Eris was cool as a female main character: she's strong, fights for her people, and is horny for Ruith (which understandable). Also, Isaac was an amazing character, so wholesome.
I really liked that the plot wasn't solely romance. The mix of politics, war, and romance was perfect and I was interested throughout the novel. When it comes to world-building, I would've liked there to e some more development. I have a lot of unanswered questions: why are the elves invading? Why do the humans have 8 gods?
I was happy that the romance wasn't the usual "brooding man who hates woman. She proves herself and suddenly man is in love. "I liked that they had mutual respect and especially Ruith was immediately honest with what he wanted. Their flirty banter was *chefs kiss* and the smut was 2/5 in terms of spice. Their relationship was good, overall, and although I prefer slow burns, theirs was still cute. One thing that I could've skipped was the "we can't be together because everyone will judge us" moment. I kind of hate it, though I (kind of) get it. Also, I want more closure, hopefully, book 2 will help. As for the side romance, I kind of liked it more.
Several of the plot twists/points were predictable, and at some points, I was confused, mostly in the beginning.
Overall, super fun fantasy book, I'm 100% going to read book 2.

A great start to what is going to be an epic fantasy series! Eris a bada$$ queen and Ruith a strong sexy leader makes an amazing love story. We get so many interesting characters that leave you anticipating the next books in this series. I loved each and every one of them with so many twists and turns with every character. You dont want to miss this series if you want to get lost and escape reality. Highly recommend!

**Arc Supplied by NetGally**

A Court of Crows jumps headfirst into the world of fantasy romance from the first page, setting the stage quickly for a number of romances throughout the book. Not only do you get a very fast burn power couple relationship, but you also get a very lovely slow burn that is being set up, and honestly it is the one that I want to watch develop the most.

The writing is quick and witty, the pace is fast so that you are kinda jumping from one big turning point to the next. I got a little turned off at the inclusion of spreading sickness, but that was mostly because I have noticed a lot of books that are coming out of the pandemic are using it. Which totally fair, but should be known just in case you are trying to avoid that.

The politics are fairly simple but still intriguing. I am really interested to see where this series as a whole is going to go from here.

Queen Eris and her city are under attack from a formidable Elf army. Her only hope is a band of mercenaries called The Crows. Can they help save her beloved city? This book has it all! Romance, court intrigue, action, an incredibly kick butt heroine who happens to be the Queen, a budding m/m romance, and paranormal aspects. From the beginning, this book pulled me in and held my interest until the very last page. It was very well written and had a little of something to interest most readers. I absolutely will be continuing this series when the next book debuts!

This was an enjoyable epic style fantasy read with a host of characters and lots of great relationships. It was well written, though I found the pacing a little slow. I'm generally not a fan of a lot of battle and fight scenes, but that's entirely a me thing. This author is clearly talented and knows how to write a good story!

This story was such a balanced mix of battle, magic, war, and romance. Nothing felt like there was too much, and while the world/magic system was slow to build it was still completely digestible. A whole cast of unique individuals, a siege, an unwilling queen, found family? Delicious.

What I liked:
-Pretty much every MC. Honestly, my favorites were definitely Ieduin and Katyr, they both had such distinct personalities. Ieduin had no business being as funny as he was and I like the part that he played for the Crows in the last few chapters. Katyr, the fact that they literally dug up a ley line.
-Maybe I'm fucked in the head, but Taratheil was funny as hell. His interactions with Ruith were fucking hilarious
-Eris and her slew of queenly responsibilities
-How to conduct a siege. honestly, Ruith was teaching Eris AND me.
-The magic. mostly explained at the end during an interaction between characters, but I'm still a fan. I want Katyr's story.
-The "red string of destiny", my Asian ass loved pretty much any reference to this
-How Eris dealt with that whole Vantis situation. you know what I'm talking about.
-There was so much reference to inbreeding among the mages. I need to know more about the magic systems and the politics
-On that same note, the brotherhood. I'm assuming something is being set up?
-There were so many "he's your brother??", literally everyone is related lol
-Eris and Ruith and definitely giving mom and dad, super direct romance, they knew what they wanted and they went for it.

Things I didn't like:
-The whole assassination plot line. It was very open and shut, which I found a little disappointing since it was an assassination.

Overall:
I need the next one.

I freaking loved this story. The strength, the love, and the betrayal. I hope we learn more of Faelyn in the end. I feel this is the beginning of an incredible series. Well written. Excitement. A splash of spice. Definitely recommend!!

Crown of Crows was the first book by Eliza Eveland I read, and <b>I was surprised as hell!</b>

<blockquote><b>The plot</b>
Eris Telari never wanted to be a queen of the Free City of Brucia. But after her brother’s sudden death, she steps in, becoming the first woman to rule Brucia. As if being the first female leader in an otherwise patriarchy-based kingdom is not enough, a further challenge arises. After centuries of peace with the elves, an undefeated elven warlord attempts to conquer Brucia to claim lands and human slaves. Abandoned by all the other Free Cities, with the enemy at their gates, the only hope for Brucia is asking for help from a company of mercenaries, The Crows, led by the charming and dangerous Ruith. Pity that the Crows four commanders are all elves – a heritage that most people in Brucia are not easy to overlook and that itself can undermine any possible trust between Brucians and the mercenaries. But Eris and the Ruith are determined to protect Brucia at any cost – sacrificing everything needed, including their own happiness.</blockquote>

Before starting I feared this book would mostly revolve around the romance between Eris and Ruith, sacrificing everything else. Well, I am so happy I was wrong.
Because there's so much more to Court of Crows than just the romance. It's a <b>well-executed mix of battles, magic, court intrigue, betrayals, and romance.</b>

In my opinion, the characters are pièce de résistance of this book. Following multiple POVs, we get to know not only Ruith and Eris, but a bunch of unforgettable supporting <b>characters, so vivid and fleshed out, each one with their unique voices, that it's honestly impossible to pick up a favourite</b> (I swear, I tried to choose one of them but simply I couldn't). The camaraderie between the Crown commanders is epic and I loved to read about their backstory.

To be honest, one of the only flaws I see in the book is the romance between Ruith and Eris. While I love them both, their relationship felt a bit forced, developing too fast. On the other end, the blossoming, slow-burn romance between Isaac and Katyr is so so sweet, and I hope to see more of them in the next book.

On the world-building side, I would have loved to know more about the relationship between humans and the few elves still living among them, as well as about the dispute between the Brotherhood of the Eight Divines and College of Magi.

<b>Nonetheless, I truly loved this book. I need the sequel NOW.</b>

This book was a great read. I would recommend this book to friends. There were several intertwined stories to keep you always on your toes and a strong female lead lead to defy the odds. This book follows Queen Eris as she struggles to hold together her kingdom during a siege against a strong elven army. As an act of desperation to save her people from slavery at the hands of the elves, she reaches out to a band of mercenaries. The mercenaries are lead by a commander named Ruith, who also happens to be an elf. He and his fellow warriors, nicknamed the Crows, are hired to fight against the invaders. Tensions are high, and Eris juggles attacks on her kingdom’s walls, discrimination from her people towards the Crows, and her growing respect and possible feelings toward Ruith. The odds are stacked against Eris’ kingdom, but she is a warrior queen who won’t give up without a fight.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I will be picking up the next book in the series whenever it comes out. This book featured characters from different backgrounds and challenged gender and relationship norms throughout the story. While a story about a queen protecting her kingdom is not new, the author did a fantastic job of writing characters and a story line that was refreshing and unique.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grim Cat Press LLC for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was so much fun to read! It had everything I could have asked for in a fantasy story, including a slow-burn romance, assassins and spies, courtly and political intrigue, a murder mystery and so much more!

The main character, Eris, is portrayed as an independent woman who’s not afraid to take up arms and defend her kingdom with her very life, which is a part of Eris’ personality that the author managed to convey very well without going into the “not like other girls” trope, which is always a plus. Still, I really think Eris as a character would have benefited from a little more depth. Since she is very much focused on defending her city (something I totally understand for obvious reasons), other parts of her personality were totally left out in this book. That’s why I like her enough as one of the MCs, but don’t love her entirely.

The romance subplot was also a great aspect of this book, because while it is very much present in the story, it doesn’t take the focus off of the other events portrayed. In this first entry in the Talons and Tethers series, the reader mainly follows the romance between Eris and one of the other main characters, but there’s also some other pairings that are already forming that are also very very interesting, including a m/m romance. Concerning the first one mentioned, I really enjoyed the dynamics between the pairing and was rooting for them from the start, although that instant attraction wasn’t entirely to my liking, but that’s something that was compensated by the slow-burn romance that unfolded from there.

As for the other characters, I LOVED the banter between the Crows, they were my favourite element in the story since I adore the “Found Family” trope to death! The bad guys, however, were kind of stereotypical and definitely could have been portrayed in a more nuanced way.

Considering Brucia is under siege throughout the duration of the story, there were some moments where the action wasn’t really present and in which the plot could have stalled. To compensate for that the author introduced a murder mystery as another plot line, something I really appreciated, seeing as it was a really clever way to break the monotony of the siege between more action-packed sequences.

Overall, this was a great first book in a fantasy romance series and I 100% look forward to continuing it!

Copy received courtesy of netgalley!

A really solid four stars!

A Court of Crows follows a young queen with her city/state of Brucia under siege from an invading force nearly triple the size of her own army. Desperate for a chance to out last her enemies, she hires a band of mercenaries knows as the Crows, with the skill, numbers, and experience she needs to hold her city. The central cast of this story is Queen Eris, her best guard Isaac, and the four commanders of the crows: Ruith, Katyr, Ieduin, and Aryn. At the center of this story is Eris and Ruith, their romance unfolding alongside the main plot, which includes military planning, dangerous magic, court politics, and subterfuge.

My overall thoughts ....

I really enjoyed this book! While I was reading I didn't want to put it down, it was only a "please go to sleep" headache that prevented me from powering through the whole book in one night! Eris and Rhuith are the most prominent characters, as this is their book, but the rest of the cast and POVs were balanced really well.

Something I really enjoyed about this book was the attention to the planning and preparedness aspects of being a city under siege, maybe some readers would find discussions of curfews and rations dry, but they were brief, and I feel that type of content is something missing from a lot of stories with a military focus, and I really appreciated the presence of those more realistic considerations. Eris isn't just a queen with a sword, she also has tot think about food rations and taxes and the more boring but really important things, that affect her people- and I really liked those details. I sometimes find that stories that have a romance focus can let their more action driven plotlines go by the wayside, but that was not the case here.

This review is spoiler free, so I won't say specifics. But I was not really surprised by the twists or revelations that come throughout the story is terms of the more political "someone is trying to sabotage the throne" plotline- but mind blowing plot twists is not something that I look for in fantasy, and I did not find any of the reveals contrived or irritating or GLARINGLY obvious, despite that fact that maybe they weren't so secret or surprising.

I found the pace, writing, and overall storytelling to be very on par with the genre that this book is in, fantasy-romance, and this book is actually a bit heavier on the non-romance plot and fantasy elements than I had expected, which is something that I certainly don't mind. I think the two plots were balanced and woven together very well. If you are looking to be blown away by prose, this is generally speaking not the genre where that would happen. But Eveland's writing flows well, and is very effective for the story. Never once was I rolling my eyes at purple prose or terrible cliches.

Strongest points ...

Definitely Eris and Rhuith, which makes sense, and should be that way, since they are the center of this book. What I really enjoyed about their romance was the mutual respect and goal from the beginning- saving Brucia. I have little patience for romances that start with a dark and brooding man who belittles the heroine, and to whom she has to prove herself- the shallow sort of enemies to lovers that is really just people sniping at each other for no reason until they fall into bed- it's not my thing. Instead Eris and Rhuith have an attraction and flirty push and pull from the start. And their relationship deepens naturally, there were no sudden declarations that threw me for a loop. The only thing is that I know the next book will belong to a different couple- but just like other character's and couples had their moments to develop in this book, I need just a bit more closure for Eris and Ruith, and I'm sure it will come.

Weakest points ...

The weakest part of this book for me is the worldbuilding. Not in a distractingly bad way- but I did wish for a bit more information and context for what was happening in the story. Are the eleves looking to conquer just to conquer? Even if that is Tarathiel's (I forget the exact spelling, sorry) reason- it doesn't explain a long history of human and elven conflict, which I would have loved a bit more background on. Also I love a map, even a simple one, really helps me orient how things are working in a story. But regardless, none of this was a big problem for me, just something I would love to see more added to in the coming books.

Would I recommend this book?

Yep! If you're looking for a fun fantasy read with enjoyable characters, and yes, some spice- this is totally the book for you. Particularly, I think this could really appeal to fans of The Cruel Prince, or Throne of Glass that are looking for something with more ~adult~ appeal- not just because of sexual content but the significance of politics and other heavier topics you don't find in YA.

Well that's it! Like I said, I really had fun with this book, and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out in April!

Many thanks to the author, Grim Cat Press & Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! While I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis, I was concerned that this could fall into the bucket of ‘promising but disappointing’ and I’m so glad it didn’t.

Full of political intrigue, magic and battles - throw in some romance and you have all of my favourite fantasy tropes combined! With strong world building and a nice pace to the story, I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Some of the other reviewers seemed to feel that our protagonist, Eris, lacked depth outside of her romantic plot line but, in my opinion, this couldn’t be further from the truth. I found Eris, Ruith and the rest of our leading characters to be well developed and intriguing.

I would definitely read more books from the author, and have rated this 4/5 stars.

*Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this arc*

Absolutely loved this one! Easily has everything you could want - mystery, battles, murder, and romance. The plot twists were great. The writing was well done. The worldbuilding was fantastic. And the characters are rich and well developed. I can't stop gushing about this one!

totally got sucked into this story, enough that I was reading even when I had other things I should have been doing.

This story has a good mix of romance, battles, magic, and some interesting worldbuilding. I loved the cast of characters. Eris and Ruith are the main characters, a desperate, badass human queen and a mercenary elf. Two strong characters that have a mutual respect and attraction to one another. They had both great chemistry and a sweet affection for each other that I loved.

And there's a war hound, which is always awesome.

I liked the supporting characters and their backstories and issues, which was woven very deftly through the action and tension and conflict of a siege.

The story had a little bit of everything, and I practically consumed it whole!