By Carissa Broadbent
Star rating: 5/5
Blurb:
A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.
Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.
Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.
The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.
But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.
Even if it means wielding death itself.
Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.
Genre: Dark epic fantasy, Romantasy
Audience: 18+, there are some explicit scenes, and adult themes.
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of rape, slavery, manipulation, and lashings with a whip. Please check the trigger warnings for yourself!
Possible Spoilers below this line
Writing Style
The world is essentially falling apart in this book. Threll has slaves, Ara has a child ruler that no one likes. This book was easy to read, and flowed well as the story went on. I loved seeing the cultural and language differences between Threll and Ara. I think that is something readers don’t appreciate enough. Is how well some authors describe and create the different cultures that we see. There were differences not just in how their societies are led, structured, and there are even differences in architecture and what they use to build their structures.
The author uses some plot devices, but she has an interesting take on the “Big dumb object” device. There is something that is big and powerful and no one knows where it came from. This added so much more to the history of our author’s world while also adding to the story itself. I loved Carissa’s use of this and how she twisted it and made it her own.
I love the dialogue in between Max and Tisaanah, its funny while they also have some more intimate, and other serious moments. Tisaanah learning how to speak Aran also throws some interesting interactions between the two of them.
Character Information
Tisaanah was sold as a slave after her city was burned to the ground and everyone she had ever known was sent to certain death. She spent most of her life working to buy her own freedom so that she could help those she cares for. But the question that comes to my mind is will she be able to stomach the killing that comes with changing the world?
I love Tisaanah, she is stubborn and has a habit of mastering things by sheer brute mental force. But unfortunately that doesn’t work for everything, and that is something she will have to learn as the story continues, unless she continues with brute force.
Max, a war hero, betrayed and scorned by those he once cared for. Unable to forgive those who forced his hand in the last war he has secluded himself in his home surrounded by a garden. A garden full of flowers that he prefers to people. What is he going to do when he can’t continue to ignore his duties and responsibilities as a member of the Orders?
I love Max. He has such a sordid back story that I’m glad Tisaanah and him finally met. Because he met someone who understands suffering as much as he does. Finding a Kindred spirit who truly understands and will listen to your stories without judging the things you were forced to go through and what you had to do to survive.
My Opinions
I loved this book. Would I compare it to the SJM-verse? No probably not. Not because it wasn’t as good, but because it is a story in its own right. Other than magic I did not see any similarities to SJM-Verse.
I loved Tisaanah, her stubborn determination and brute force reminded me a little of myself when I really set my mind to something. No only that, but she is a smart ass who makes jokes like she is the same age as Moth. I loved everything about her character, even when her determination to change the world becomes more of an obsession and she puts those she loves in danger.
Maxantarious is an amazing warrior, but kind of a recluse. His saying “I’m not made for this” Made me laugh everytime I read it especially when the warm weather rolled up on them. As a Floridian, I can say that I agree with Max, I was not made for the heat. When the story starts we see a very closed off Max, a man who is trying not to care, but obviously cares more than he wants to. His backstory explains why he doesn’t want to be around people, and I can’t say I don’t blame him. I loved seeing him open, and blossom like one of the flowers he obsessively planted. He slowly lets Tisaanah in, and he opens up to her in a way that he hasn’t since he was betrayed during the last war. This made his character that much more realistic.
I love this book, if you like fantasy adventures with romance and fantastic magical abilities you should check it out. An almost enemies to lovers, with so much adventure thrown in. The tension builds like a slow burn, but its not as slow as some of the other slow burns I have read.
This is definitely going to be a book that I re-read and annotate. I just want to finish the series first.