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I, unfortunately, can’t quite decide whether I liked this book or not. I spent the majority of the time while I was reading it, hoping that the ending would be near �� and I think that says a lot?

While the plot was intriguing, I think the pacing and the writing never really gripped me. I enjoyed the dual POVs of Shakti and Ashoka and I thought they offered a good contrast to each other. Both are essentially on the same “side�� but have remarkable differences in their standing in society.

I liked how the magic system focused on nature spirits. Unfortunately, because Shakti �� and the world at large because of the burning of a library, texts, and the mayakari, themselves �� was ignorant to a lot of what she could do, we as readers did not get to see much. However, it was intriguing to learn beside her and I suspect this is all part of a larger plot and this is just one part in a trilogy.

I liked that the characters were messy and dysfunctional and unlikeable, I think it added a lot of intrigue to the story. In particular, Ashoka was a very interesting character to follow as he goes through the book and how he begins to question letting go of his own morals for the greater good �� because he thinks he is good. This will be interesting to see where it goes. This is the same with Shakti, how far will her vengeance take her down a dark path and away from her people?

Anyways, I rate this a 3/5 stars and will say, in the politest way, that it’s “mediocre��. There’s a lot going on that’s intriguing, and yet I found myself moving through it slowly, never truly hooked. I’ll probably stick around for the sequel as I do think there’s potential.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for this e-arc