I thoroughly enjoyed this and have gotten a majority of the way through the second book, Ten Arrows of Iron. It's a bit of a difficult read in terms of length and pacing, as it ranges from slow to medium paced. It places a lot of emphasis on how insular the character is, emotionally and physically, to a point. The violence and combat is pretty front and center, and any sex scenes are more implied or glossed over rather than fade to black. The narrative framing is unique in a pleasant way, being a story being told by the MC to another character. The MC isn't a very reliable narrator, withholding details from the reader/person she's speaking to. Parts of the magic lore do feel 'borrowed' from fantasy ttrpgs like D&D 5e or Pathfinder, though the world is fantastically interesting and unique in its own way. Worth the read, especially if you get sucked in and swept away by books the way I do.

Jan 2025--Reread in preparation for continuing on with the series.