some people are really made to write art, aren't they?

to say that i love this would be an understatement. this book made me laugh, cry, hurt, and happy all in a span of 24 hours that i read this.

this is my first alix e. harrow book and i just love, love, the proses here. it's magnificent, and i feel so much closer to the characters with the way they were written.

that it was sometimes written in second pov was also a unique experience that made reading this so much more interesting.

i have always been a fan of isekai in novels. to name a few: (1) k.a. tucker - a fate of wrath and flame, (2) sarah rees brennan - long live evil, and (3) touko amekawa - 7th time loop.

it wasn't that much of a surprise that i liked this too. loved it. relished it.

it got slow in the middle part, but i welcomed the pace, because i needed to pause and enjoy the book. i hated reading this fast because i didn't want to let go of the characters and the world.

this was exceptionally well-written. both main characters yearn for one another, even on times when they don't remember each other. i got worried it will get repetitive or taxing to read about them reliving their lives multiples times, but it really didn't. in fact, i wanted more of it.

the way it still manages to be hilarious at times is a feat on its own, because how are you making me laugh after making me cry???

i'm glad this was a breath of fresh air from all the fantasies we have been getting lately where the plot points feel recycled.

alix e. harrow, you're now on my auto-buy list. excited to see what she releases next!

i'd rate it 10 stars if i could.

synopsis: coming from a famine-stricken village, wei yin is determined to get her family out of poverty by doing everything she can. when an opportunity to become a concubine for the royal prince presents itself, she takes it and promises to do everything she can to achieve her dreams for her family and village.

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this was a daunting read at first. i have always liked historical dramas, so i knew i was gonna like this too, but the political mess can be tricky and i was banking on being disappointed since most people fail to be consistent with politics in their books.

this book didn't struggle with that at all.

the politics was one of the strongest points of the book. we are in wei's pov, someone illiterate and from the villages. a commoner. as wei learns of the political turmoil inside the palace, we learn it through her eyes, too. slowly at first, and then it plunges us deep into the vile politics of everyone surrounding her.

she started of kind of doormat, so i was a bit frustrated in the beginning. but her redemption arc is one of the best i've read since jude from the cruel prince. that's the highest praise i could give.

one of my favorite characters in this novel is admittedly terren. he's one of the most complex and well-written antagonist i have ever read. every chapter is a surprise of whether i would be rooting for him or against him.

from the very first time we meet him, until the last chapter, my feelings for terren were heavily conflicted, much like wei's.

both of them, wei and terren, made this experience so worth it since i like being in wei's pov and i'm always waiting on what i will discover next about terren and maro throughout the entire book.

ultimately, fuck the elders. i feel so bad for young terren and young maro for having been played like chess pieces and getting dragged into the ugly politics of their family at such a young age.

highly recommended if you wanna wreck your heart. check the trigger and content warnings.