Bryce has created such a perfectly intricate world! At no point are you able to get bored with this story. The magic system is unique and plays into the class system. There are a multitude of gods and goddesses. The world is queer normative, which I believe adds to a layer of how characters express themselves and see others. The story carries on with no worries on gender of character which is very refreshing. The FMC and MMC are both morally grey and this adds a depth to their characters and the relationship between them that makes them feel relatable, and it makes the development of their relationship feel more real and not just constructed to add romance and spice to the story. The story contains many POVs that help carry the story and give a more well rounded view on all the characters' thoughts and actions, and the meanings behind them. Bryce has perfectly melded a story about personal development and relationship development with an intense plot of danger, secret missions, and quite a bit of violence (but not distasteful).

I received this copy for free from NetGalley for an honest review! So here we go!

It’s a longer read but it was too good to put down! As with fantasy there was a lot of world building to get into. It was longer I felt than usual to get into and a longer read.

I really enjoyed the multiple POV’s as I’ve mentioned with many other books before so it was really good! I feel this way, we see in both heads and it saves from having to read the same book entirely over again just to hear it from another POV. I always get excited for another book from a series I love but to find out it’s a book I’ve read and now I’m reading it all over again with an entirely different voice can be brutal for me. Just my own opinion but I find this saves me the hassle.

This is an amazing read! I couldn’t put it down! Loved the slow burn and some steamy romance! Always a fan of enemies to lovers as well!

This I heard is her first novel or debut; she knocked this out of the park! I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!!!!

The world building was intense (it was beautifully thought out though once you get into it). I printed out her maps that she has online and that helped a lot.

Otherwise it was fabulous! A long book, but a fast read because most of the chapters are very short. The character development was sublime, and I looooved the MMC.

I received this title for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Atonement of the Spine Cleaver was a novel that was a mixture of so many things to the point that it became an entity of its own. At a whopping 659 pages, it was the longest novel I read all year. However, it was a novel that I was able to read rather quickly; I spent most of my time over this past weekend committing to the book.

Bryce’s novel tells the story of Rorax Greywood, a deadly woman with gallons of blood on her hands. She is known across the Realms as the “Spine Cleaver,” and she is one of the deadliest warriors in all the Realms. The meat of the novel concerns “the Choosing,” a series of trials to determine the next Guardian of the Realms. This part of the story is the most intriguing and exciting, and waiting almost 100 pages was worth it because of that. Without giving any spoilers,

Let’s start with the positives because there are many high points in this book. The novel is well written, especially for a debut author who is finding her footing. There were several times that I had to close my phone because something Bryce wrote resonated. Rorax’s character development is great, even if it is not entirely linear. She is a complicated character with complicated motivations, and that is made clear throughout the entire book. Illus is an intriguing world, and the novel is bursting with queer representation. Because the world is queer normative, the characters were allowed and encouraged to be flawed (and even horrible) people, which is something that is not seen too much in a lot of narratives.

There are only two negatives I have about the book. The world building is complicated, and it took over 200 pages for me to figure it out. For an over 600 page novel, 200 pages is enough to get my footing, but I found myself being frustrated because I was not only figuring out these characters, their motivations, and the world, but I had to figure out the class system as well. Now, if you’re a serious fantasy reader with experience understanding new world systems and whatnot, this might not be a problem. Honestly, it wasn’t even that big of a deal, but it was enough that I had to include it in this review.

The second negative is the multiple perspectives that the novel is told through. I am not a fan of this writing choice, mostly because I find it confusing, and that was no different for this book. It did have its perks, and it helped round out the story because it helped the reader determine and understand character motivations. However, it just wasn’t for me. I would have rather stayed with Rorax the entire time.

Also, now I have to wait for the second book to come out.

Overall, I give this book 4.5 stars. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy novels like A Song of Ice and Fire, but also anyone who is a fan of The Hunger Games or any other Battle Royale type of narratives. This is definitely not a light read, but it is an enjoyable one, and I will be looking out for that second book.