This was a beautifully written Japanese novel about Elin’s experiences with Toda, giant water serpents that are trained to fight in the royal army and Royal Beasts, giant bird like creatures who protect the defending kingdom. Elin discovers she can communicate with these Royal Beasts and she has to decide which kingdom she could trust with this knowledge and who the real enemies are.

Although the pacing seemed a bit off in the beginning of the novel, this story captivated my interest until the end. The writing was soothing; I felt like I was laying in a sunny meadow with butterflies tickling my nose. Elin’s life was addicting to read about and I believe the slow pacing in the middle of the book was important for readers to fully take in the intricate details of this world. My favorite part was definitely Elin’s life with Joeun. Joeun reminded me of a gentle Brom (from Eragon) because he seemed so kind and intelligent yet knew when to let Elin know she was crossing a line with her extreme enthusiasm for learning about honey bees and wild Royal Beasts. When Elin enrolled in the Kazalumu Sanctuary, where people took care of the defending kingdom’s Royal Beasts, readers are able to see the development of Elin and Leelan’s phenomenal relationship. I can’t really say anything else without spoiling stuff but everytime I think about Elin and Leelan my heart smiles.

I absolutely love when there are multiple perspectives and characters in a book and the side characters were very interesting. I especially appreciated Ialu’s character and the way he carried himself throughout the storyline. However, I was annoyed when the author would repeatedly explain conflicts to each character in the same way. It was as if she was telling the readers how to feel rather than showing us how serious the conflicts were. I kind of ignored it, thinking it’s a cultural thing because of how frequently this happened. However, I was absolutely annoyed when she put off the “tragic” story Elin heard from her mother’s people until the last few chapters of the novel. I think this is such a weak way to build anticipation and keep readers interested.

The ending left enough questions for a sequel and I cannot wait to read what happens to these creatures and Elin’s life. I want to find out more about the water serpents and I would like to see more of Ialu. Totally recommend :))