ARC review; thanks to NetGalley and CLASH book for the access to the ebook. Pub date: 10 Sep 2024. 

I enjoyed this! It's a dark fantasy with a world that felt unique to me or at least very different from the fantasy I've been reading and I appreciated that. I liked the worldbuilding, I liked the characters, and the conflict at the core of it was compelling. 

It delivers on the description; it's a story full of magic, murder, and there's a bit of romance. However, I found the romance to be the least engaging thing about this. Sure, it was nice, but I wasn't kicking my feet or anything. 

What kept me interested was the world and the conflict, which are very solid. I think the structure could've been a bit better, though. Once something is revealed, things kind of lost steam or tension for me as the reader and the climax felt a bit rushed and underwhelming. However, considering this is the start of a series, I think that can be forgiven, especially because the world is so interesting.

Overall, it's a good dark fantasy story and a solid start to the series, I will definitely keep my eye on it!