J. Leigh Bralick

This book had a nice mix of magic, political intrigue and action. I'm a sucker for settings where those with special abilities are underdogs, and I found both Tarik and Hayli sympathetic characters.

For me, the middle of the book dragged a bit. I think this was because there were so many different parties with their own agendas that I didn't manage to keep track of them, and so I couldn't appreciate the significance of the (many) twists and reveals. Additionally, for a fair chunk of Tarik's PoV chapters, I found his thoughts too opaque. Therefore, I wasn't able to follow his decision-making process and fit them into the developing story. I still enjoyed reading, but I wouldn't have minded more streamlining and heavier hints as to what was going on underneath.

Overall, an intricately woven tale in a magical steampunk world.… (mer)