ŷ������

SO EXCITED FOR BOOK TWO!!

Now for the review! This may be a ramble I've never left one this long before so I think I'll break it into sections

Plot -
The story really takes off from the first page I wasn't expecting that since I'm such a slow reader but I couldn't put this down every chance I got. I haven't read anything dystopian in years but this was a great pull back into the genre. It was refreshing and new. A fun read even though some of the themes are heavy. Could really tell this was personal for the author while reading. This is a story about grief and hope with bits of comedic relief throughout.

I also really appreciated how diverse it was and I felt I learned some things along the way which is always nice. Rising is rich with history and culture.

The plot twists at the end TORE ME TO PIECES! How unfair I need more now 🤧

Characters -
The FMC is tough, I wouldn't say she's unlovable because I do love her but she's rough around the edges and you can totally see her growth throughout. Without spoiling too much, she deserves to act the way that she does and I can't wait to see her growth. She's been through a lot of trauma and I do think the beginning of the book sets up the turmoil we see her go through as the story moves along. She's constantly torn between her own emotions, being a good leader and living up to other expectations of her.

The author advertised as Throne of Glass being inspiration behind this and I can see that with the main characters and romance.

The side characters are very unique and all have their own personalities that are explored. They aren't just randomly generated NPC's with a bleh voice. Reina is a favorite.

I'm a sucker for multi-pov so I really appreciated the ability to see what was happening around The Compound from a different perspective. Each pov shed the overall story in a new light, which makes sense considering the multiple plot twists at the end. I tend to stray toward the belief that unreliable narrators tend to lead to the best plot twists while still keeping the plot twists relevant and not seeming to come from out the blue.

Romance -
Listen as a romance gal, this is slow burn! Emphasis on slow burn. So many books claim to be slow burn but then the characters end up together before half the book is over. That's getting boring. These two have moments of tension and then she sucks it right away from us! The angst 🤌🏻

Another reviewer mentioned there is a reason for the slow burn and that's important to remember while reading. Amaia and Alexiares relationship is witty and full of enemies to lovers banter I'm thirsting for more. Back to what I said about Throne of Glass, they don't end up together for a few books. I get the vibe that we won't have to wait that long for these two, at least I hope not. There was a promise of spice for the second book so here's to hoping 🤞🏻

The side characters have their own romances going on, nothing spicy on page but it's inferred and definitely cute but makes the ending that much more satisfying (or devastating depending on how you read).

Other things -
I like how each character had their own voice and way of speaking. The writing is very descriptive with just the right amount of extra fluffyness, which is a personal preference for me. I can see how it may not read that way for everyone.

The world building is AMAZING. The author somehow took a world that already exists around us and made it into something that I haven't seen before. Again, how refreshing I feel as things tend to be copy and paste in the book world now. It was pretty simple to follow, didn't leave me with any disruptive questions. Nelle Nikole has a knack for easing world building throughout the story and not just an "info dump" that you see a lot in fantasy books.

In the next book I'm hoping to explore a bit more of the settlements away from Monterrey and more of Reina! Lots more on our lgbtq queen 👸

CONS:
Like the other reviewer, there could be some better wording in some of the sentences for the sake of an ease in reading and there were a few spelling errors but nothing that took away from the story. Some of it is just how the characters talk I think but it kind of reads like a movie so its not so much of a con as it is personalizing the characters lol

Overall - 4.8/5
Characters- 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Romance - 2/5