A year after the war is over, Astra is living with her brother, the king of Litash. She suspects the enemy isn’t yet defeated, but her brother’s court isn’t convinced. Her insistence combined with her lack of control over her magical abilities get her exiled to Merimeethia, prince Louko’s home.

The story is told from the perspective of two traumatized and insecure teenagers. Awkward moments ensured. Their interactions are wholesome but somewhat repetitive, with them over-apologizing to one another. It was refreshing reading a YA novel where the relationship between the MCs isn’t romantic.

The world is fleshed out, and I’d love to learn more about it. However, world-building could have been more subtle, done in short info dumps.

The book would benefit from an editor. Some paragraphs could be removed without affecting the story, and some scenes need more follow-up. Most notably, ellipses are overused.

There are unexpected twists, and a minor cliffhanger to keep you intrigued. But the world-building and characters are enough to get me invested in the series.