This story was a wonderfully absorbing slow-burn fantasy. The political, magical and justice systems are so well developed and interesting, bringing both consequences and victories to all the characters. As the main character isn’t from the kingdom in which the story takes place we get to learn about all the different systems with her so there’s no info-dumping, the information we need is given to us through engaging, funny and believable conversations. Watching the relationships between Alyrra and Sage and her family bring wonderful moments of joy, warmth and security in a story filled with betrayal, mistrust and heartbreak. The villains in this story and are so different from each other, causing different types of pain to Alyrra. Absolutely wonderful story and beautifully written and well-paced.