Tarisai longs for a family, after being raised by indifferent tutors in a hidden compound. But when she finally has the chance to find that family, the reason for her upbringing becomes clear; her mother expects her to kill her new found family and has used powerful magic to ensure she complies. Tari must find her own power in time to save her emperor and her entire world...
I'll be honest, as I always try to be in my reviews. I wasn't sure about this book. The cover, the blurb, they both said 'sort of ok' to me. However, I took the leap and I'm so glad I did. Far from the impenetrable read I was fearing, this is an instantly readable high fantasy, far more Eddings than Tolkien.
The mythology of the world is shown to us at just the right speed, building interest and curiosity. The characters are great, too. However, I wish there weren't so many on the Council; we barely met most of them, only three including Tar really had any bearing on the story. Maybe in future stories we'll learn more about them.
Future stories! This book doesn't cliffhang, which is great because I hate those ones. However, it's clear that there's a lot more story to tell, and I hope Jordan doesn't keep us waiting for too long. (Largely because I'll forget who everyone is if she does; I tend to forget characters after a year or so.)
I loved the colourful descriptions of clothes and buildings, and the different cultures. Jordan touches on a lot of topics, from gaslighting to colonialism, but she does it so lightly that it never feels like a lecture. I'm so glad I overcame my uncertainty and tried this book. I'll be recommending it to as many people as possible.
I'll be honest, as I always try to be in my reviews. I wasn't sure about this book. The cover, the blurb, they both said 'sort of ok' to me. However, I took the leap and I'm so glad I did. Far from the impenetrable read I was fearing, this is an instantly readable high fantasy, far more Eddings than Tolkien.
The mythology of the world is shown to us at just the right speed, building interest and curiosity. The characters are great, too. However, I wish there weren't so many on the Council; we barely met most of them, only three including Tar really had any bearing on the story. Maybe in future stories we'll learn more about them.
Future stories! This book doesn't cliffhang, which is great because I hate those ones. However, it's clear that there's a lot more story to tell, and I hope Jordan doesn't keep us waiting for too long. (Largely because I'll forget who everyone is if she does; I tend to forget characters after a year or so.)
I loved the colourful descriptions of clothes and buildings, and the different cultures. Jordan touches on a lot of topics, from gaslighting to colonialism, but she does it so lightly that it never feels like a lecture. I'm so glad I overcame my uncertainty and tried this book. I'll be recommending it to as many people as possible.