Summary
Review
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The best way to explain how much loved this book is to say that I finished it in one sitting. I wasn’t necessarily gripped from the first page, but as soon as Leonel was introduced (only a few pages in, to be fair) and the magic side of it really came into play, that was where I was truly hooked.
The world-building and characters were crafted so perfectly that you can really imagine the locations and you can’t help but feel connected to the people as their story unfolds. Seeing the difference in character between the mortals and immortals was really interesting especially and created a perfect divide in which the story could take place. The lore behind the gods in this world was definitely intriguing, they take cues from Norse mythology, but the author really makes it her own and leaves you wanting more. Deen writes extremely well and so descriptively, the words really do just bring the story to life in your mind.
While there was at least one plot point that was obvious and you know full well it will be resolved by the end of the book in some fashion, there were still plenty of revelations that I did not see coming. There’s also enough loose ends to nicely set it up for the sequel, while still giving enough closure to the story arc within the book. This isn’t a “Young Adult” book as such, as the main characters are 25 and 30, however, I believe YA readers would enjoy this just as much as adult readers if they love fantasy novels.