Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Finally a YA fantasy that didn’t disappoint me!

Read this if you are looking for a YA political high fantasy with an atmospheric setting, fleshed out and interesting characters, and a fast paced, action-packed plot. I was impressed by both the characters and the plot. Truly, there wasn’t one part of this book where I was bored. This is what I have been looking for in a fantasy read for a while.

Our story follows Katyani - she’s the royal family’s body guard, trainer of her country’s spy network and the personal protector of the princes and princess. For her, this job goes beyond her duty to serve the royal family that took her in as an orphan; it is done out of a sense of fierce loyalty to these people that she grew up with. You can see how much love she has for her adopted brothers and parents, and it was this familial relationship (among others) that I really connected with.

The world building and setting is so vibrant. We spend some time visiting a monastic school in the middle of a forest infested with monsters to learn ethics, meditation, weapons and martial arts. A big focus is how to be ethical and moral individuals - a hope that the master wants to imbue into the next generation of fair leaders. His role as a neutral party alongside the warring kingdoms in the larger country was an interesting addition, and I love how influential this one master and his school is up against kings and queens of the country. The development of the master-student bond between Acharya and Katyani was so sweet, as we watch this wise mentor slowly come to care for his pupil that he’s initially found irksome. Throughout the novel, we watch Katyani come back to the things that her teacher has taught her, and she holds his guidance close to her heart.

I am very pleased with how much I liked this book, and I can’t wait to see what Rati Mehrotra does in the future.