The background story and worldbuilding was gripping, but the novel lost me in its characters and plot. The characters were very flat and one dimensional. The novel played on the rebellious heroine meets arrogant male warrior trope, which I don't mind, but the characters didn't have any substance to them. There were parts in the book that felt like filler and didn't progress the plot at all. The stakes and motivations weren't the focus, instead it was the banter between the characters and their awkward romance.
What finally killed it was the ending. It upended a lot of things from the beginning, making the whole reading experience a bit unfair. The only reason why I didn't quit on this book is to give my review.
What finally killed it was the ending. It upended a lot of things from the beginning, making the whole reading experience a bit unfair. The only reason why I didn't quit on this book is to give my review.