1/10/2025
This novel was the perfect read to conclude the 2024 season. I both started and finished the first of the duology on a 3 hour plane ride back to San Diego. From the very start, the prose was striking. I thoroughly enjoyed the emphasis on writing as the story revolves around two journalists, in a fantasy world that was experiencing a war of the gods. The touch of mythology, and crafting a world from the ground up was done with beautiful ease. Oftentimes, when reading a fantasy novel, it takes me a good deal of time to properly grasp the world and the different characters. Ross simplified it by solely focusing on two: Iris and Roman.
Typically, when reading a romance I enjoy a slow-burn, and while this could be considered such, the tension was palpable from the first time the characters crosses paths. While reading the novel, their relationship never once felt forced, and I believe it followed a natural progressions of “enemies” to friends to lovers. My favorite scene of the pair was when Roman first made an appearance in Avalon Bluff, and no questions asked Iris ran to him.
The war of the gods provided a peculiar light to the story. Though I have read fantasy novels that revolved around a great war, when reading these words it felts as though the events were real. One doesn’t often think about war correspondents, or the role that they play in a conflict. The focus on the pursuit of the truth through journalism was a moral that I really valued. While I am privileged to have never experienced war firsthand, the pain emulated from the words made me count my blessings.
While the ending of the first novel was tough to swallow, it opened the door to an exciting continuation of the story. I cannot wait to begin reading the next half of this duology. Overall, I would give this novel a 4.5/5 stars!