This was a completely fantastic story that pulled me in with humor and sarcasm from the beginning! Amazing character development and relationship building, fantastic banter and wit, and expert story crafting went into this book. It was heartbreaking, hopeful, and so purely magical. You will not regret going on this adventure.
Isabel is a feisty and strong character who, like many of us, feels her own self doubt around her like a cloak. She wants so badly to be enough for everyone around her, and any small failure feels like falling off the edge of a cliff. Her journey with self doubt and self harm is one that we don't see often in fantasy, and I liked the way her story was told with that as a part of who she is at the very fabric of her core.
Erik is a soldier through and through. He's magic. He's powerful, and he's....an idiot. He drags Isabel along as their guide under the agreement that it will help keep peace between their people, but what started as pure annoyance becomes something so much more. Erik also fights with being enough for his father, for his kingdom, and for being seen as Erik and not just a solder or a powerful Sender.
They find that as they get to know one another, they're not all that different. Have they finally found someone to see them for them and not the power or skill they possess? But then, of course, we have secrets, betrayal, and murder sprinkled throughout the book. There were a few moments where my jaw dropped and I was so shocked at the twist! I never saw it coming, but then it brought the rest of the pieces back together to form the picture of reality.
I absolutely cannot wait for book 2!