From Arwen’s perspective, Kane is a ruthless, broody, and violent man; and she constantly wants to run away from him (we all know she doesn’t really, but, you get the point). Meanwhile, on the other hand, it’s blatantly obvious to everyone except our FMC, that Kane was pretty much a victim of Insta Love. His who did this to you vibes were firing off within ten minutes of knowing her. Initially, I was worried about that. I was so sure that this was going to be another slow burn that was actually more like a wildfire, but I ended up being wrong, and I am so glad that I was. I was very kindly provided a copy of the book by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I liked Kane as a character he was surprisingly level-headed and protective when it came to Arwen. I initially thought this was going to have a much darker vibe mostly because of the beginning scenes but the building bond between these two was actually very sweet and Kane was patience personified when it came to Arwen's many mistakes. Looking ahead, I have some definite expectations for the sequel. I especially hope the author carefully works to differentiate the cultures and buildup of each court, so that they aren’t all basically the same with just a different gem color scheme *cough pathetic don't do it*

The author didn't neglect the worldbuilding in this book. On the contrary, it was masterfully crafted and left me in awe. I particularly enjoyed discovering the rich history of the fae and how their magic and world operated. Arwen was such a contradiction on the one hand I loved how loyal she was to those she considered her own but I also thought she then made rash thoughtless decisions in the moment without much thought to the consequences and when it came to Kane she could also be quite prejudiced and very blinkered. She definitely seemed to hold him to a different standard than everyone else and she wasn’t willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. As this is romantasy, you’ll also have an attractive thief and a broody powerful king somehow sparing verbally with Arwen and that felt like heated foreplay to me! Our MC Arwen pulls a whole bullshit martyr-move for her family, only to get pulled into the very war she was trying to run away from… and of course she has a larger part to play Kane Ravenwood. Kane motherfreaking Ravenwood. How to describe this hothead manipulative powerful man with a good sense of humor and a killer crooked grin?

Success!

The characters are the best thing about this book, 5/10. Arwen is a very independent girl with a little more to her than the average person. Kane is the King and is alright, not a huge fan. Mari is the MAIN reason I gave the characters 5/10. Overall, I felt like the characters were awkward and just weird. There was just something missing between Arwen and Kane that made them awkward to read about. Not my favorite couple. I do feel like if they were written differently and had more time to create an actual relationship the reader could see, it would have been easier to get into. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Arwen and Kane is EVERYTHING. Like EVERYTHING. I adore them so much! The sexual tension, the chemistry, THE BANTER!! Arwen and Kane have a complicated relationship filled with conflicted and confused emotions, and there are a lot of secrets between them. Their conversations – the way they flirt and tease each other, their more tender moments, the way he listens to her – it’s nuanced and layered and so fascinating to see this couple slowly let their guard down with each other. This is definitely a pair that should not care for each other, yet they are inexplicably drawn to each other over and over again. Every interaction adds to the slow-building swoon-tasticness! It’s definitely a slow burn and felt like a first novel in that you are getting to know the world and the characters, but I was never bored. AND THE ENDING? THE CLIFFY? Pls I was on the edge of my seat. And the true star of this show was Arwen. She had such strength, but it wasn’t so excessive as to be unbelievable – no, everything about Arwen was so realistic. Her fear was evident, but her bravery despite that fear was what made me love her, and I can’t wait to see her growth in later books. I’m not going to lie, she made some… interesting choices, that perhaps irritated me a little, but hey, everyone makes mistakes!

In truth, bird, your cell is the last place I should be, but,” he sighed. “I can’t seem to keep away from you.” THE STORY was very fast paced, and the beginning was especially good at getting you interested in the story. So much happened in this book already and it’s set up well for the sequel. The twists at the end felt like they came outta nowhere because there were no hints or lead up. It left me feeling cheated. And the ones that I could guess were things you could find in a typical fae romance anyway. Furthermore, as for Kane Ravenwood, the love interest, there is nothing in particular that stands out about him in terms of fictional boyfriends. He is charming, flirtatious and says a few mildly swoon-worthy lines that I have found myself enjoying, in spite of the cheesiness and the cliché surrounding the story. Also, he has those tortured-hero vibes that, while not as attractive as those of a morally gray character or a villain, he pulls off with elegance. Basically, he is your average, sexy, fictional boyfriend. Nevertheless, I admit I delighted in the romance between him and Arwen. It can be cringy and unoriginal at times, but it's not nearly as constant or as intense as it can be in any other aspects of the book. There is even some light, soft-core smut that is tastefully done. You aren’t mine. You don’t belong to me. You can spend your time with whoever you please. All I hope is that they treat you with the respect you deserve, and I will try every single day not to think of ripping out their still beating hearts.”Arwen has the gift of healing and it's this talent she ends up bartering with to save her life. Her handsome arrogant jailor Kane is determined she pays her brother's debt in his stead but he is also surprisingly kind to her and though Arwen tries so hard to hate him she also can’t help reluctantly falling for his many charms. We truly have an original, round character in here, a strong woman who’s brave while still being soft and feminine, a girl who loves deeply but is specially loyal to herself. The last chapter was devastating but incredible when it comes to Arwen’s mentality shift.