A solid start to a refreshing fantasy series with an interesting mythology. The setup is simple, and interconnected standalones are easily my favorite type of books to read - I really like that each book will feature a different Lord and then build on the overarching story and conflict established in this book. Just enough layers of the plot are revealed to keep you engaged and guessing, but the focus is very much on the MCs and their journey to find and accept each other. 

The pacing was a bit odd for me at times, and there were certain scenes that felt like they came on very suddenly with no lead in. I suspect these moments and writing will strengthen as the books continue. I would also have liked more detail on the “rules” in this world. Things are explained only as they need to be, which can be fine, but here there were many times when it felt like it was simply created for convenience to move the plot forward. The side characters were my absolute favorite part, and the biggest reason why I’m excited to continue reading the series. I didn’t connect much with the FMC, she’s very passive and unfortunately doesn’t have much to do as she’s a glaring fish out of water, but it surprisingly didn’t bother me as it’s just the circumstance she finds herself in - nothing of her own doing.