At first I wasn’t sold on the thought that the second book in this series would be totally unrelated from the first one (aside from being set in the same universe). But from Chapter 1 I was pulled in to the gorgeous universe of Inthya and the fascinating political and religious intrigue written by Effie Calvin, with a beautiful sapphic romance that makes my heart feel full!
First, the romance: I love love love how it was written. It was wholesome and sweet and you really root for Orsina and Aelia. The split perspective was very effective. There was conflict, as with any good romance, but it wasn’t that horrible manufactured conflict you sometimes see in other novels; it felt realistic to the characters, setting, and their histories. There is a real lack of sapphic romance portrayed in general and this was a breath of fresh air. (I also love how the author specifically writes in and includes “neutrois” people!! And has side characters who are non binary!!)
The world building is so interesting and I can’t wait to explore more of Inthya in future novels. It mixes old school, D&D style high fantasy with modern and accessible story telling, told in a way that draws the reader in with punchy, rapid paced action.
I also liked the narration. Brenda Scott Waslzo (sp?) is an excellent narrator who does voices consistently and distinctly, and is an excellent actress. Sometimes it does feel like her tone of voice doesn’t quite match the situation, but this only happened once or twice and was hardly noticeable.
Great book and great performance, really looking forward to more!!