I read Zodiac Shadows first, and honestly, it was just okay. Since this book came in a set, I decided to continue—and I’m really glad I did. This one was much better than the prequel. I think you could definitely follow this story without reading Zodiac Shadows. You might miss some deeper context, but the author does a good job weaving in the key details you need to understand what’s going on. What really stood out to me was how unique the story felt. I haven’t come across many books featuring jaguar shifters, and while the zodiac theme isn’t new, it was incorporated in a way that felt fresh. That’s something I really appreciated, especially since a lot of books in this genre are starting to feel repetitive. The FMC is still figuring things out, piecing together bits of information as she goes, which makes her journey engaging. She comes across as a strong character, and I really like the direction of her joining the military and undergoing training—it feels like a solid foundation for future character development in the series. Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s a fairly quick read since it’s not very long, but it still manages to feel interesting and different enough to keep me invested.