I absolutely love strong female characters and this book delivers two of them! There is so much to say and love about this book. The dual timelines was for me, a hit, a spectacular way to deliver this story, and make a major impact to the characters. I loved how we got to see Queen Rielle first and I was immediately intrigued by her. What made her the way she was and why did we get to see someone who is severely hated at her most vulnerable!? This made a huge difference in the way I read the rest of the book and probably why Eliana made me feel frustration beyond words. I could hardly understand the way she viewed the world and her motivations in the things she did it acted. I think we will get a more personable side of her later but as of right now it is very difficult to immerse yourself into her story. There is also a lot of information missing about explanations and reasons behind the queens place in the world and how Rielle achieve so much power. There's just a lot of missing factors that might get cleared up in the next book but as of right now I'm currently driving myself insane with all the possibilities. Overall, I liked how driven the story was and how it kept me firmly planted in that world. The characters were endearing and each had their own struggles and unique qualities that made the story could alive. It was truly highly imaginative and emotionally charged.