I got this book as an ARC
I loved it. Unreservedly.
There’s no gentle lead-up to the action, it starts with main character Thraga in prison awaiting her execution for killing a bunch of guards. Her partner is dead and her main worry is getting to the hanging before they find out she’s a runewitch. The death for witches is much much worse than hanging.
Prison is where she meets Durlain. They strike a bargain and hit the road together. Neither one of them is what the other expects.
The magic system is really interesting. The runewitches are native to the lands and channel magic through the use of runes. Durlain’s people conquered the area because they can control fire. There is a story that they “saved” the kingdom because it was freezing over so maybe the world is experiencing an ice age or maybe colonizers are lying liars who lie. The rulers treat runewitches as their natural enemies but Durlain notices that most of them have no education in how to actually use their talents so probably aren’t actually any kind of a threat.
The slow burn romance is a genuine slow burn – they are both such prickly people and it’s fascinating to watch them get to know each other. They challenge each other constantly and it actually leads to them getting to know each other in a way that nobody else really does.
What I found really fascinating about the plot is how the background information is slowly revealed organically over the course of the story. There are no info dumps, just people figuring things out or being forced to reveal them during the events of the story. That to me is an example of really good writing. I actually went back and re-read some parts and there are breadcrumbs left in advance – a few of which I picked up on but some of them went right over my head. It was so well done. (The identity of Kestrel for example – I did not see that one coming.)
Also – and this is just a personal preference – I like the fact that the male love interest isn’t muscle-bound. He’s described as defined but lean. I like a big boy as much as the next bisexual, but I also like the sleek panther look and it’s nice to get a little variety.
Altogether I absolutely adored this book and I will definitely be rushing out to buy the sequel as soon as it’s available.
Lisette Marshall’s website can be found at https://lisettemarshall.com/