Dark, unpredictable and worth the patience
Jude is a human girl who grew up in the world of Faerie after losing her parents under terrible circumstances. Raised at the court of the High King alongside her sisters, she has always been an outsider. Determined to prove herself, she sets her sights on becoming a knight. But Cardan, the youngest and cruellest of the High King's sons, seems determined to make that as difficult as possible. And yet the more time they spend in each other's orbit, the more it becomes clear that his hostility might run deeper than it first appears.I'll be honest, the beginning was a bit slow and I sometimes struggled to follow Jude's reasoning, which made it hard to connect with her at first. But she grew on me over time, and once the story picked up pace I found myself genuinely invested. What really drew me in was the dark and unpredictable atmosphere, combined with the political intrigue that runs through the whole story. You never quite know who to trust or what is going to happen next, and that kept me hooked. The slow burn between Jude and Cardan is there, though it takes its time getting started. The first real sparks only appear quite late, which required some patience. The ending caught me off guard and left me curious enough to want to read the next book as well.If you enjoy dark fantasy with scheming, morally complex characters and an atmosphere that keeps you on your toes, this one is worth your time.
