I feel like a broken record where I say over and over that fantasy is so hit or miss for me, but I feel like it is important for me to say this so that when I tell you that I adored this book, you won't take my praise lightly! So I shall now tell you all the stuff that made this such a win for me!
- ► First of all, I had no freaking clue that it was nearly 500 pages, because it flew by! When I went to mark as "read" on Goodreads, I was shooketh, because no WAY was it that long- it flowed so perfectly!
- ►Such a glorious family focus! Malik would do, quite literally, anything for his sisters. Their bond is really incredible. Karina's familial situation is a bit messier, but she absolutely wants to do right by hers as well. I don't want to get into it too much because we learn a ton about her family as the story progresses, but even though it's more complex, it's still moving.
- ►The characters were great and I was rooting for them wholly. They are so incredibly sympathetic and relatable! Even though you don't necessarily want them to follow through on their assassination plans, you can totally understand why they would be considering such drastic measures. It's certainly morally gray, and very thought provoking. They also learn so much about themselves and others during the book, I loved that.
- ►The West African folklore inspiration was amazing! It is new to me, but I am here for it. So many incredible messages, and the way the author weaves them into the entirety of the story was great too. It wasn't just a footnote, it was a huge component.
- ►Add to it, the author did a phenomenal job of world building. I was never confused or overwhelmed, yet there was definitely enough mystery and intrigue to keep me excited. Everything about this world made me excited to learn more, and if you ask me that's kind of perfect worldbuilding.
- ► Mental health is involved. Oh, there are way too few fantasies out there with good mental health rep, and I am so happy to count this among them! The author does such a great job of making it part of Malik's story, but not what defines him.
- ►I am an absolute sucker for competitions. Like anyone is fighting to win anything, and you can go ahead and sign me up. The stakes in this competition are super high, because both competitors and not have a lot at stake in the outcome.
- ►The sparks of a romance are definitely there. You can see that these two would be perfect together, tbh. If they don't kill each other first, of course. I love that Karina can just tell what a genuinely good person Malik is, and vice versa, even as their agendas don't align.
Bottom Line: I absolutely fell in love with this high stakes adventure, and I cannot wait to continue the story!