This tale begins deceptively slow as the author sets the scene and introduces Nhika, a marginalized magical healer struggling to survive in a sharply divided society. A few pages in, the stakes become painfully acute when Nhika is betrayed, hunted, captured, and sold to the highest bidder. With memorable world-building and a complex heroine, Vanessa Le has done an excellent job of capturing my attention. I can't wait to find out what happens next!