Overall, I enjoyed this book. That said, I do hope the final print edition will have gone through another round of edits. Multiple times I came across pages with sentence(s) copy/pasted, one instance where the wrong character was mentioned in a scene, and a lot of misspelled or entirely missing words.
As far as the story and characters go, Fei was really difficult to like. It felt like the author had changed her mind about how to let particular scenes play out, yet never went in to fix the scenes after.
This story would have been better served with more page time with the second love interest, who was hardly even in the book for nearly the first 200 pages and yet easily the best character. It was nice when he finally showed back up, but until then I kept asking myself, 'where's the other guy?' And 'I thought this was a "villain" love triangle?' I didn't realize there would be a book two, so while I am curious to see if Yexue finally wins her heart, I won't be rushing out to get it upon release because this was marketed as romance, but the romance really fell flat for me. Especially considering the end. I was really disappointed. There was also just too much reliance on the inspiration from Mulan and the Illiad/ Helen of Troy... but with vampires.
The I think the teens in our library might enjoy this, but not for those seeking a satisfying romance. And it desperately needs to be polished. There's really no excuse for a book this short to be so riddled with errors and inconsistencies, so i hope it will be fixed before final printing.

This book is a masterful blend of intricate world-building, compelling characters, and thrilling adventure. From the very first page, the author draws readers into a world brimming with magic, danger, and political intrigue. The setting is both vast and richly detailed.
Overall, this book is a true gem for fantasy lovers. Whether you're new to the genre or a seasoned fan, it's impossible not to get lost in its pages. A captivating, unforgettable read!

Thank you NetGalley for proving an ARC.