Jake was very old, but he didn’t look like it because he was a healer, and as such, his body healed itself of everything, including old age. On the other hand, Fin was a telepath and could talk with animals or share their senses, and of course, he could read humans. He looked up to Jake like a father since his father was dead. But Del was the Queen’s daughter and the appointed heir to the crown. She was the youngest of four daughters. Her older sisters fell to assassins leaving her, the surviving daughter, and she did not get along with her mother. She was a telepath also, like her mother, but her gift was different. Del needed to touch the person to be able to read them, but she could also control them, unlike her mother. Her mother was also a telepath, one of the strongest ever known, and she sent a message to Jake through Fin. There was no mistaking the message, and while Jake gave himself up to protect their village, Fin had the mind to rescue Jake from the Queen. Along the way, he met a young woman who was Del, but he did not know it at first.
I loved the world-building that went on. It gave me visuals whenever I needed to figure out what was happening. The character’s backgrounds were filled in enough to know their motivations, and their interactions were thus believable.
This fantasy tale is definitely dystopian, with plenty of action and an enemies-to-lovers romance. I give this telling five stars out of five stars.