Well okay I'm processing because I surely didn't see it coming some parts of the book.. Did I like it? Yes but don't come expecting rainbows and butterflies with this one, the writing was very well done and the story... Definitely wasn't expecting but I also don't want to spoiler it.. If you like intrigues and some philosophy this is the book for you

This book feels very much like a sequel, with ideas and characters introduced in a way that seems to think I”m already familiar with them. If it weren’t for the blurb telling me that the man whose death was televised was the most powerful regent of Raenaru, I’d have no way of guessing that he was quite so important. I just thought he was Aeyun’s dad. I also had no way of knowing his brother was the “beloved heir” since no one seemed all that upset that he had vanished.

The man who killed Aeyun’s father, Seraeyu, doesn’t have magic. Or, at least, wasn’t born with the ability to “tune.” Somehow he’s managed to cheat, getting power from somewhere, but it also takes with it his body and his memory, leaving him to have to guess what happened and deal with the consequences of someone else’s — or something else’s — actions.

The characters are so busy having to give exposition and fill in the blanks that they never really seem to develop personalities beyond very broad strokes, and the plot … honestly, the plot feels overworked. It’s an interesting plot, but it’s also trying to interweave the magic system (which is the best part of the book) the backstories, the flashbacks, the quips, the world building … it’s a lot, and I don’t think it’s quite balanced. The characters suffer by having to explain things and at times the conversations feel unnatural.

Even so, the writing is good, the pace is brisk, and the story reads very well. The idea of the sea gates and the magic ocean were fun and the magic system, which is slowly showcased throughout the book, is very well put together. While I didn’t really enjoy the characters, I did have a decent time with the book and will be looking forward to the sequel.

Thak you Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC