Thank you for the arc! 3.5

So overall i really liked this book, the magic in it was interesting and the story was too, tha characters were also lovely.

Miraya is a great protagonist, she is privileged and she acknowledge it and tries to learn, she waits and listen. She obviusly makes mistake, but she at least tries, from her position of privilegde to change the supression the people are under. She stops being a princess but she doesn't do it because she doesn't want to serve the people, she does it because she really wants to help, but she knows she can't do so in the palace, and she was right. She also doesn't judge, she just listens, she accepts everyone as they are which is really nice.

Lowryn was also a great character (in general all of them), she was annoying in certain parts tho, but we get to know why she act certains ways and is great.

What I didn't like was the romance part, in any of the characters, I think was pretty unnecesary to the plot and everytime they talked about this or we were on a romance scene I felt disconnected from the story which I didn't like. I wish the romance would have been relevant to anything, but it was not.

I feel also that everything happened way too fast, everything happened in less than a month if I counted the time correctly, and I don't mind everything happening so fast, but this just made the romance thing more annoying. It was out of nowhere, and it was falling for someone just as you saw them, which was the most annoying part. In this part everhything was way too rushed, I really don't mind neither care about the romance.

And it annoys me more that Daniel would have been a great character, but he was just there to be Miraya partnet at the end. He could have been more important to the plot, but he was not. It was a waste of a character. I don't mean that romance didn't fit in the story, but it should have been fitted in any other way. Also sorry but Entero and Lowryn romance is just as absurd as Miraya and Daniel's. Out of nowhere and just because yes.

I have to say too that I loved the inclusion in this book, is pretty natural and you can see it but is not forced at all, which makes it a great inclusion even if is just for secondary characters mostly. It was subtle but noticeable, that was great.

So, it was a great book, I definitely would reccomend it. Really cozy and I'm interested at least for the rest of the saga to see what could happen to the characters, and to see Entero return (not to be with Lowryn just because I really enjoyed his character). It was a nice read.

Princess Miyara has been trained all her life in proper manners, political debate, and other imperial matters, but as the fourth princess, with a line of sisters before her, nothing she does is unique or distinguishing in any way. To be honest, no one needs a fourth princess. So, even though she's always played her part perfectly, when she reaches the age to ceremoniously declare herself to the throne, Miyara unexpectedly chooses to leave it all behind. Hiding from her royal family, Miyara has to somehow earn a living and try to survive as an ordinary woman outside the palace.

Miyara was a dutiful princess, but now finds herself daunted by the simplest of everyday tasks, like cooking and grooming. But these are surmountable issues. Most importantly, Miyara has chosen the freedom to lead her own life and make her own choices, be it the clothing she wears or the friends she makes. No longer constrained by the role of a princess, Miyara can finally discover who she is, and what kind of person she wants to be.

This was a cozy, feel good read. The story uses a Japanese tea type of ceremony (I think) as a basis for Miyara's growth, while also displaying its cultural importance in her society. I liked how Miyara and her family were all inherently good people, not power hungry evil monarchs who are typically depicted in modern fantasy. It's nice to read about nice people. Of course, there are villains, but this isn't another story about overthrowing an evil monarch.

Mostly, this story was about Miyara's journey from a meek princess following the script others wrote for her life, to a woman finding the freedom and courage to choose her own future. With good friends, a bit of romance, some magic, and lots of tea, Miyara's journey was heartwarming and relatable for those hiding in the shadows of their own lives.