I’m probably in the minority on this one, but I’m such a sucker for world building y’all 🥹🫶🏼 it helps me get so much more into the universe and connect with all of the characters! so needless to say, I loved this one!!!!

loosely based on antony and cleopatra (mixed with a hong kong / aladdin setting and the hunger games vibe), the story follows calla and anton, two unlikely friends who must team up to stop the king’s lax rule of their cities. between the two of them, and their benefactor prince august, it is a non-stop slow burn chase to the finish 🤯

calla was by far my favorite character, especially the way she took princess to a whole new level 😅 all she wants is to save her people from starvation and unnecessary violence - and while her methods are a bit gory, I have to admit that I love a female MC who will stop at nothing to save the greater good 🥹

anton, on the other hand, doesn’t know who he is on the outside anymore, but he certainly has a plan to exact his vengeance on the palace. the tension between both him and calla and him and prince august was so palpable - I LOVED THE DRAMA OKAY

what I loved most, however, was that chloe wrote from multiple POVs, jumping around even to minor characters so the reader had the full picture the whole time 🫡 it really helped move the story along too!!!!

and can we talk about THAT cliffhanger at the end? after reading THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT and any dystopia fiction book ever, I pretty much guessed it - but I loved it all the same wow this is definitely a top book this year!!!!

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! 

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: ao yun cabernet sauvignon