This story begins with Kelbain, the son of a long dead Demon murdering a King and taking his throne. Kelbain is not content though with just the one crown and has big ambitions to start a war with himself as the ultimate victor.
In a different Court three Prince's are about to be given tasks that will challenge them but more importantly could save the free world from tyranny and untold deaths. Prince Andemar stays home to advise and train others but being left at home is not necessarily the easy option. The most dangerous of the three Thasus, travels North to face inhospitable conditions knowing he might not survive but he has his own secrets. Rudi, the youngest gathers his friends for what could be a great adventure and finally the chance to prove his worth !
I thoroughly enjoyed this what is almost an ensemble piece as the story flitted between characters giving insight into not just the trials and tribulations of these characters but also motives. We get quite a picture of Kelbain and his family but its still a shock when the author throws the unexpected into the works. I liked that we got to see the various magical abilities at work but boy there are thoroughly nasty people here who deserve all they get but my lips are sealed !
I think many readers will enjoy Rudi and his cohorts as they get involved in various altercations . However for this reader it was the indomitable, lusty Thasus who surprised and entertained me the most. He is a Sage with abilities many would either fear or seek to control. This isn't just an adventure story though because back home Andemar is quietly dealing with his own issues but what really is the truth ?
Of course no good fantasy is complete without a well written villain and here the author decided to give his readers very morally grey characters and luckily we spent a lot of time with them which really made this feel well rounded and balanced. No spoilers here but initially we might feel that we know which characters have magic but as this ends there are surprises galore ! Perhaps a little shorter than I expected but with the next book already lined up on my kindle there are no complaints here.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Interesting fantasy novel with magic, fast-paced action, secrets, friends on a mission, betrayals, politics and everything else you would expect in a fantasy novel.
Kelbain is trying to become King and raise his dead father from the grave, while others try to unite several houses in order to oppose him. What I liked is that there are several interesting characters and the book focuses on each of their storylines. There is no real good and bad guy here as most are a little bit morally gray which also gives the reader a basic understanding of the antagonists in this novel. In my opinion this gives the plot a little more depth.
In general I liked the premise of these books (it's a series and I read book 1 and 2 back-to-back) the world is interesting enough, the characters and different houses as well, yet the writing style was not for me. It was too simple, for example what could have been an epic fight scene got reduced to maybe 2 sentences. This did not help me as a reader to really get into the story, also the dialogue was stilted and didn't seem to flow naturally.
So I am a bit on the fence about this one, I did enjoy the plot and want to know how the events will turn out, but the writing style issues change my rating from a 4 to 3 stars.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. ***