this was my first adult fantasy novel and it was amazing. the descriptions of everything, the world building, the way Sarah A. Parker writes is so alluring. starting out, i instantly knew that i had to slow down my reading and ensure that i was taking everything in and mentally picturing it. this is not a book you can turn your brain off and mindlessly read.

i was pulled in instantly by the world building, and especially with the dictionary in the beginning. tbh, it was intimidating but the story walks you through everything you need to know first, then if you need some more background info, you can turn towards the front and read up about the certain custom, person, or creature.

this is such a slow burn and i love it. i haven’t read a good slow burn romance in awhile and this is spectacular.

i did catch on to the plot twist (not in the epilogue) right before it was revealed, but it was still a very good plot twist to begin with. also, i love the family tree that was added in the back. it really helped me visually understand how everybody was related and whatnot