Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall, a fantastic read! I was very invested in our characters, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish. I absolutely need to know more about this world and where Taj and Star will go from here. That ending was heartbreaking, and I was definitely not ready for it.

The characters developed very naturally, and their interactions always felt genuine and organic. The way they reacted to different situations was very well written and was probably the highlight of the book for me. I really enjoyed watching their relationships and personalities develop throughout the story.

The action scenes were also incredibly well done and extremely enjoyable. A lot of the time, action scenes can get muddled or difficult to follow, but these were punchy and exciting. They had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

The concept of the runics is really interesting, and I can’t wait to see how they evolve and where they go in book two. There’s so much potential here, and I’m excited to see the world and magic system continue to develop.

My one complaint was that I wish we had gotten more insight into the villains’ motivations. That part felt a little shallow and underdeveloped, but hopefully we’ll get more answers in the next book. Either way, I’m definitely looking forward to continuing this series!

Thank you Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A delightful return to the Territories with Viv and Co.! I was elated that Zyll was our first story, and what a hoot that was! I loved seeing some of her time before the events of Brigands and Breadknives. Tandri’s story was quite emotional, and I was tearing up by the end. Thimble’s was just as wonderful, and I’m so glad our baker is finally coming into his own.

Viv’s story of finding the answer for her future was fabulous as always, though out of all the stories, it would rank the lowest for me. The final story, though, really tied everything together. Revisiting Legends & Lattes and seeing how the team comes together to face challenges was just phenomenal. Seeing all their character growth shine through had me reminiscing about the previous books.

The writing is easy to read and brings such a cozy feeling whenever I dive into these stories. The characters continue to be well developed, with struggles that feel real and go beyond the surface level. I’m invested in them even through these quick, short stories. I loved getting a peek back into their worlds, seeing where they came from, and finding out how they’re doing now.