This felt like it took just a little too long to get going, but once we’re truly underway it’s a story that is hard not to be entertained by.
We begin by following Raeve, an assassin, as she is taken captive. We know she is strong, and those who capture her seem to fear her power. Initially I felt too much was not explained clearly enough to help me become invested in the character. We don’t know why people are after her, why she is so feared or what she actually plans to do. However, in a definite nod to Sarah J Maas we have a character who doesn’t go down without a fight. As she is sentenced to death by dragon, it was hard not to feel excited by Raeve’s escape.
Once she has managed to get away the story picks up. We see the character of dragon rider Kaan do his best to help and support Raeve. There are clues that hint as to why, but the significance of their meeting doesn’t get revealed early on.
There are snippets of diary entries that soon help us in working out just what is going on, but it took a lot longer than I expected for this element of the plot to get going. In fact, once things slotted into place and we learned more about the dragons and their role the book felt like it picked up pace.
Strangely for such a large book, I was struck by how little really happened in terms of plot. We get a developing picture of the world and characters, and by the end it was definitely shaping up to suggest the next instalment could be a wholly different experience.