Nice idea for a world, with some interesting concepts, but somehow it doesn't quite work as a story, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's just one of those books that doesn't agree with me, but it isn't badly written and many people will find in entertaining. It is distopian though, so pretty dark throughout, and the self destroying motivations of Oerliva will be hard for many readers to accept, I certainly didn't find her a believable character. The plot mostly revolves around several characters betraying each other repeatedly for the best of reasons (apparently). And I quickly lost the will to attempt to follow who thought what now. This isn't helped by quite a bit of flashbacking to the scene 5 years ago which sort of set event sin motion, although they'd also begun a long time before that. And then a few of the characters are put into situations where a conversation isn't given to the reader even though we're currently following their POV, which is annoying and poor writing. Quite a bit of the world, dynasties and magic system is never explained, and it doesn't become clear where the limits are.

The general situation is (I CBA to recal all the silly names) a world of several cities has gradually been deteriorating over the last few decades of rule. There are two dominant tribes one of Summer blood and the other Winter. Within each tribe are a few Named families of potent bloodlines imbued with some power. In one particular city Winter families had ruled for some time and life was peaceful enough. However on one night at the turn of the year the king and all his family were killed by a trusted guard, and summer took over. Five years later we follow the chief protagonist who had been the king's trusted assassin and was now a prince of thieves in a bar. He's renounced his old trade and in seclusion from Summer's whims. However he gets a note that he could have his revenge against his former lover the woman guard who'd killed his king. But it turns out that she needs his help to revenge herself against the Mage that she believed set the event sin motion and killed the kings daughter who was dearest to them both.... and so it goes one mis-direction after another.

In the end there wasn't enough details about how the world worked, I couldn't get behind any of the characters motivations, the multiple revenge betrayals just seemed to be the author twisting it as much as he could, and there wasn't enough zing to keep me engaged. I suspect others will enjoy this though, and I might try some of the authors other works. ( )

Interesting world-building, main character and plot, if you can get past the first 50 pages, and a helpless submissive and sexually eager trope-centered vision of women, and sex (or lack thereof, and not for trying) as a defining feature of all characters. Flowing prose, I liked to read it. I'll read the sequel. ( )

Interesting world-building, main character and plot, if you can get past the first 50 pages, and a helpless submissive and sexually eager trope-centered vision of women, and sex (or lack thereof, and not for trying) as a defining feature of all characters. Flowing prose, I liked to read it. I'll read the sequel. ( )