This is beautiful, poignant story of magic and heartache. Atmospheric and rich, the writing evokes so many emotions - hope, love, grief, fear - masterfully enchanting the reader. The romance is beautiful, it’s a rivals to loves story that unfurls as they sharing vulnerability over enchanted letters. We watch as they slowly reveal their hearts to one another. I was swept up in their love and the depth of their feeling. Layered and armoured it takes time for them to share their truths but the journey was breathtaking.
Alongside this we get a war between two gods, magic and the horrors of war illustrated through Iris’s role as a war correspondent. The author doesn’t shy away from giving us the heaviness of war - grief, pain, the realities of what it means to fight, or to be left behind. I thought it was done really well without dragging us down too much. As a backdrop for the romance it made each moment more precious. And it was an interesting twist of what felt like real history combined with magic and gods.
The magic is understated though present and I liked learning about the Gods as the story progressed. The ending was unexpected and I’m intrigued to see where the story will go. Overall not one to miss! A truly moving story and very unlike anything I’ve read lately.
