Read with Fern

In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate’s daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

As a dive into a fantasy world with a Greco-Roman empire on the verge of collapse, clinging to the Old World magic stolen from the gods, this book was incredible. The politically-based plot was a welcome surprise as the story follows two young adults battling with their fate as newly appointed leaders amidst a burgeoning rebellion. Instead of travelling on horseback and sharing one bed at an inn, the main characters are on either side of a class war, with one leading a battalion and the other working to curry as much political power as possible to save a priestess.

The story is told in two timelines, with POVs from both characters in both the past and present. Listening to this as an audiobook was incredibly helpful, because between multiple names for the same characters, jumps in the timeline, and general world-building, I needed both narrators to help me keep everything straight.

Unfortunately, my one issue with this book was the dual timelines. A staple for Young, I was anticipating it, but the way it was handled in this book left the pacing feeling a little off. Because we’re meeting the characters in the present at odds with each other, and meeting them as they met for the first time in the past, the evolution of their relationship is hidden from the reader until almost the end of the book. While the overall plot had built up a complex and dire twist for me to enjoy, I felt like I wasn’t emotionally connected enough to the main characters as I reached the cliffhanger for the second book. Instead of solely wanting to know what will happen next, I found myself still trying to piece together what had already happened.

However, this dynamic has also led to me thinking about the second book almost exclusively over the last week, and I will be absolutely frothing at the mouth by the time I get my hands on it! Overall, this book was a refreshing spin on a YA romantasy, and it has taken hold of my brain in a way only a book written by Adrienne Young can.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!