I adored this West African fantasy and there were two major selling points for me; The Mythology and the characters. Tarisai herself is a character I bonded with instantly. She craves human contact, the servants at her mothers house afraid to touch her because of her Hallow (power) which can read people’s memories. So when she arrives at the Palace to find a wealth of children like her, unafraid of her touch, she wants nothing more than to accept the bond from Dayo the Crown Prince, but she knows that once she does her mothers task will overpower her and she is unwilling to act on it. She is strong willed, so much more than people expect and utterly loyal to those she loves. Tarisai is the main character and the book is definitely hers BUT the author also manages to give us a wealth of side characters, each with their own personality and purpose in the story, from Dayo the Crown Prince to Sanjeet, Kirah and the other council members, every character has their part to play in Tarisai’s story and I bonded with each and every one of them.