This book contains a lot of triggers, unless you need trigger warnings, I would avoid reading this list as it can spoil some of the story for you.

• Kidnapping and theft
• Unlawful detainment, torture, and assassination
• Spying, espionage, and treason
• Rape and/or use of sexual interactions to manipulate and/or control people
• Magical manipulation of peoples memories
• Murder.

Axly is a formidable woman who’s committed to doing what’s right for her family. Unfortunately, no one can know she has a brother, or even who her parents are. Because of this, she’s committed her life to lying to those she loves, never letting anyone get close to her, and killing anyone she perceives to be a threat. All because of her absolute loyalty to her brother who needs her.

I’ve omitted the storyline part of my reviews for this one as it felt like there were 3 distinct storylines, with 3 distinct endings: all in the one story.

Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoyed the book! I actually reached out to the author to find out when the second book in the series will be coming out so I can get it.

But part of reviewing books is to critically analyse them. And in this case, my only fault is the structure.

I wish this had been split into 3 books, which each have their own clear storyline, character arcs and developments. The first one is the most fleshed out. I think if we left one particular chapter as the epilogue, this first book could have been around 250-300 pages long?

I’m not sure exactly how it’d end up. If it was a bit short for a fantasy novel, there are some sections that I think could have easily been expanded on to give us a richer world.

The second “storyline” had the broad outline included, but there was a lot of detail missing. Detail that could easily be added without over burdening the reader. Because these are fantasy novels, there is typically a lot more leeway with descriptions, back stories and other details compared to say a contemporary romance novel.

The third section however, that was the least fleshed out and really felt tacked on. There is so much that happens during that time that we really should have had more detail. But it was so glossed over I still feel like I only vaguely know what went on during that period.

Lyons has done an amazing job brining in elements from the likes of Tolkien, Jordan and R.R. Martin. But the one thing I’ve been immersed in recently (and I have to thank Ali from The Wheel Takes for this), is the structure of the story. What is the question or goal of the book? Do we have a clear structure to get us there?

While the writing is great (except for the last “storyline), I was enraptured throughout, and I can’t wait for the next book. I honestly couldn’t tell you what the main goal for the whole book is.

I can tell you the goal for each storyline. But I couldn’t see what the main book, considering all three storylines, really was. Which is a shame because I think this could do so well with more detail because it has the makings of an epic fantasy saga that I would love to dive into.