“Ah, yes, my favorite activity: standing in front of a mirror whilst getting repeatedly stabbed by the tailor as punishment for my outdated wardrobe.”

—Tyron

The story starts with two tsundere sisters raised in a Githyanki-like environment who find a man called Tyron. One of them is reluctant to let him come with them but finally accepts due to the other’s insistence lest he dies if left by himself.

I’ll admit my enjoyment of this book came primarily from my love for one of the MCs. Tyron is curious, kind, resourceful, patient, sincere, a good listener, and charismatic. I’m in love.

When I first heard about this book, I had no idea it was a prequel to another series I’ve started and loved: A Daughter’s Ransom. While the latter is YA, this duology is geared towards an adult audience. In the original series’s first book, Tyron does not take much of an active role in the story but is heavily mentioned. I’m intrigued to see the path Tyron takes to turn him into an antagonist in that series.

But Tyron is not the only thing to relish in this story. The rest of the cast is just as interesting and I enjoyed warming up to them. The interactions between them as they start opening up were also a highlight and I found the banter really funny.

The story is splashed with action and romance, has simple but well done political intrigue, and includes thoughtful disability representation. It also pictures complex familial relationships and how trauma shapes us as we grow up. It got me engaged all the way through.