This book was unlike anything I've read recently for a number of reasons. It has a unique world of provinces built upon a power distribution myth, and each province has a Blessed dux, who receives a unique magical blessing from the goddess, which will eventually be passed onto their heir. This magic system plays into the main plot of the book in dramatic ways and kept the story moving.

The political system was interesting, while not overly complex, utilizing the basic class stratification and exploitation we often see in societies of extreme poor, working class, and elites.

The main character, Dee, is an enjoyable lead as the unlikely hero in the story. His unadulterated belief in finding the good and taking care of others makes him a loveable, albeit sometimes chaotic, narrator.

This book doesn't shy away from morally gray situations, to the point that I almost thought there was a plot hole, but the story ties together beautifully, if not a bit uncomfortably, at the end. It will leave you evaluating what should or should not be in the name of the greater good.

The author's representation of typically underrepresented is on point in this book! There is fantastic diversity that is authentic and natural, and something like disability or sexual preference is part of the characters, but does not become the characters' entire identities.