Review Detail

You had me at CJ Redwine! I love her books, and this start to a new duology was a solid addition to my collection. Charis Willowthorn has been raised to be the most vicious one in any room she’s in. However, under all her walls is a girl who cares deeply for her family, her servants, and her country.
I like that Charis is a capable fighter and a skilled strategist. I love that instead of being a damsel princess in distress she can use her smarts and her skills to save her country. Poor Charis finds herself in quite a corner when an 18-year-long war with Montevallo is getting worse and now ships are being sunk off the harbor. The solution works but at the cost of her very heart when she offers her hand in marriage in exchange for peace.
It's obvious from the start that there are spies and someone from the nobility who is a traitor. It made me on edge the whole time waiting to discover who it would be. I couldn’t fall for Tal’s character because I kept waiting for him to end up being a spy or a prince with his uncanny deep knowledge about Montevallo. But, I fell for him anyway and loved the deep respect he has for Charis. Even when their relationship was progressing it was never about taking advantage of her just because he was attracted to her. I am rooting for them and am hopeful in the sequel they won’t spend too long before being reunited.
Overall, this book laid the groundwork for our characters to have deep-rooted feelings for each other. The time the author gives these characters to form their relationship gives me all the hope that they are going to have a happily ever after eventually. The deaths and surprises at the end make for a major cliffhanger. I am so glad the sequel is out because the wait in between books would have been hard with that ending!