Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Pages: 464
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.
Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.
In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.
Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.
As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.”
My Review:
This is necromancy magic on another level. This whole story is grim and dark and I loved every minute of it. The magic system in this book was so freaking good. The territories and politics were so well crafted. I never wanted to leave this world. The plot and pacing had me hooked all the way through. Everything in this book was fantasy perfection.
Wren is so raw, real, and relatable. All her relationships (family, friends, and otherwise) are complex and nuanced. Wren and Julian… omg am I simping for them. I know you’re gonna love them just as much as I do. Even Leo captured my heart.
This was everything I could have wanted and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. I loved this story so freaking much and I am definitely considering getting a physical copy when it releases just to have it. All the stars – I can’t recommend this book enough. It is a must read for all fantasy lovers!
I did not read the Crown of Feathers trilogy but I know it was very loved by many readers. I was super excited to see she was writing something new. Even just the cover made me immediately want to read this one. I have to give kudos to the designer because it truly captures the vibe of the story, the world, and the main character super well and exactly how I would have imagined it while reading.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you read this book? Planning to add it to your TBR?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I love a good book discussion. 🙂
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