3.5/5
A solid start to an adventurous steampunk series. I loved the chemistry of the group of main characters. Merik and literally anyone is my favorite combo of characters. Jovin got on my nerves at the beginning, but he grew on me, and I am excited to see how he grows into a leader. I was glad that the princesses’ tiff over a certain charming prince was short-lived, and I’m excited to see their sisterly bond grow. For the future of the series, I’m excited for more Merik because he’s just so darn lovable, for more Charlotte because I find her inner conflict between her instinct for peace yet the world throwing her into violence to be gripping, and to discover Hadrin and Angela’s pasts and futures. Angela stood out to me, and I anticipate her becoming more relevant, and I can’t wait for it. The adventure felt more of a castle-hopping variety than a multicultural one, as the kingdoms didn’t feel all that different from each other, and the characters didn’t have to learn any new customs to show respect for or function in the new countries. I’m excited to explore the variety of the rest of the world and see how the machinations of the villains hinder our heroes on their journey, and to see just what their nefarious plans entail. The ending was action-packed and intense and got me suitably riveted for the next installment, though I had a couple gripes with how it played out. I’m delighted this is planned to be a 5-book series because I had so much fun at our starting point and there’s so many seeds I want to see grow.
Thank you CJ Rhinehart for the review copy! I leave this review honestly and voluntarily.