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Initially, I found this book difficult to read. There is a lot of explanation of the world’s background with necromancy that sets the stage for later events in the story, and frankly Dion is very difficult to like at first. She comes across as a very rigid, biased, and self-pitying character even the author seems bent on portraying as unlikeable. However, after having continued on with the book, I am incredibly glad I read more.
Perhaps my favorite characters in the book are introduced as Kitten’s household. They are what drew me in to continue reading. It is here also that Dion’s character really begins to take shape, as she is taken out of an environment where she has isolated herself and focused solely on studying and mourning Michael, her adoptive father and teacher. Through the friendships she makes in Kitten’s household, Dion begins to question some of the critical beliefs she has unthinkingly carried on from Michael’s teachings and learns more about what she is capable of. In a satisfying reflection of how far she has come, at one point, Dion recognizes prejudiced behavior in a volunteer at the convent where she comes to work and tempers her anger with the realization that only months ago, she might have behaved exactly the same way.
I was amazed by how much I could relate to Dion by the end. Her reactions to her first love were almost painfully dead-on. I could relate so well to that dual desire to reciprocate his feelings and also to hide from them out of fear of what might happen. Even beyond this, every time Dion found herself pushing her limits and performing greater and greater magical feats, I recalled moments in my own life when I outperformed my expectations of myself and experienced that pride with her.
The world this novel is set in is well thought out. There are multiple continents with multiple cultures and viewpoints. Even the idea of a male-dominated society, a common thread through nearly every character in the book, is not universal here. While the consistent view of the society that men were superior grated on my nerves a bit, I appreciated the world’s internal consistency. In fact, the author does not seem to desire to present a perfect world or perfect characters. Nearly every person in this novel is flawed and wonderfully human because of it.
There were some minor grammatical issues and some formatting issues, but they didn’t impede my understanding or enjoyment of the book. I also did predict a few of the plot twists at the end, though they still caught me offguard, and it was actually exhilarating to realize I’d been correct the entire time.
I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars, because I truly did enjoy it. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fantasy novel with a rich world, complex characters, and maybe a little touch of romance. I would recommend that younger readers avoid this, because there is some sexual content, though nothing unnecessarily graphic, and it does seem geared more for an adult audience. I hope there is more to this series, as I would be very interested to see where Dion goes next.
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