Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Net Galley for this advanced read.
I do hope this one gains recognition because it was such a good, unique, and diverse read.
It was the right kind of emotional and tense - we feel the stakes and the danger, get surprised, but without veering into melodrama and pure shock value.
The characters are amazing and strong without being perfect and their shortcomings make them richer and deeper which is generally a very difficult to achieve. I appreciated the diversity and the disability representation - it felt real and affected them without being defining.
The blend of sci-fi and amazing was pretty well done and worked story wise. Even the fae, of which I am sick and tired of, were made to feel interesting and fresh by the author.
Moreover, the cast of characters was developed really nicely (especially for a debut novel as far as I know) and no one felt like a caricature or a walking trope. I wasn't sure about the other POVs since Aeri was such great main characters but they worked in the end and added much needed context. Of course, I have my favourites, and a few that I still find a little boring, but that's normal and happens even in the best ensemble books.
The FMC and MMC were thankfully also a fresh take of popular types and traits. The only slight remark is I felt the things between them developed a little too unevenly and they should have been wary of each other for a longer time considering their history. Still, fortunately this was an actual slow burn with a lot of potential.
The ending is magnetic without being too cliffhanger-y. I hope the king doesn't become an one-note villain and the conflict between their countries and between him and the queen develops in unexpected and original ways without making him into a misunderstood good guy, I find redemption (and maybe something more, I am a simple girl) much more compelling.
In any case, I am excited about the sequel, would definitely read it first time it is possible, and believe in the author with the additional experience gained, would do amazing things with the story and the characters.
P p. I won't use the book for my curriculum, just because I am a Math teacher, but recommend it to all Literature and English teachers and librarians/bookstore owners.