This was an easy read with witches, magic, gods, shape-shifting dragons, a shadow daddy, and two unlikely parties turning into allies to complete a quest.

I liked the idea of the five kingdoms being bestowed with different magical abilities by the five gods. There was a lot unknown about what happened to the gods and what led to things reaching where they had, and we see the characters question the past and try to piece things together. I feel that very little was explained about these gods and their history, and there wasn't a lot of clarity about what gift each god had granted to their chosen kingdom. Maybe this will be explored in the next books. Also, I feel like the world building could've been worked on more as I didn't get a good understanding of it.

Saoirse had been through hell growing up. She was looked down upon for her lack of powers and was treated terribly all her life until she was able to flee from her home. But now she was back in the midst of the very people who had traumatized her. Her fear was justified, and her reaction to them was brutal and hard to read, but it gave a better understanding of just how much she had endured (check the trigger warnings).

Her character did have some growth as the story progressed; however, I wish we'd seen her character slowly come out of her shell and start taking control of her life, realizing her strength and value gradually as the story progressed instead of her being helpless, scared, distressed and feeling sorry for herself for the majority of the book. It was understandable why she was terrified given her past, but I feel like it might've been a better progression for her character to slowly build her confidence and strength and train to defend herself and use said skills when the time came.

Vane's character had the traits to be the perfect sarcastic, mysterious, and dangerous enemy/ally but didn't quite meet that expectation. He was still likable, and I loved the moments when he let his powers out and the moments when he went feral for Saoirse, but I wish there was more to him. His character didn't exactly stand out to me. There is very little known about Vane, and I'm hoping the next book fills in those blanks.

The romance between Vane and Saoirse, although kind of sweet and cute, seemed to build up out of nowhere and too suddenly. I wish there were more conversations, banter, mentions of attraction, or something between them before one sudden kiss later; they feel more towards each other. There was some pull and push due to their circumstances, but I couldn't feel the connection too strongly. I did like the moments when Vane made Saoirse try to see herself the way he did and always told her how amazing he thought she was, which did help her to see herself as more than the failure that her family had made her believe all her life.

I liked Xan and her role in the entire book, and I'm invested in knowing what happens with her next. Apart from Xan, very little was known about the side characters and their motivations, especially when they had a vital role to play. I was also not a fan of them disclosing their top secret mission to anyone and everyone.

Things get more interesting in the last 25–30% of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the chaos and everything else that followed. Which also has me excited for the next book to find out what happens.

This book had the elements and the potential, but for me it felt like something was missing. The concept was intriguing but was lacking when it came to execution. It was fast-paced, and a lot was happening too quickly, but I felt like the way in which the storyline progressed seemed a bit stilted. That being said, I did enjoy this book, and it was an easy read.

Thank you, Savannah Lee and Sunny Babe PR, for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.