Synopsis:

My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I’m no princess bound within a tower.

I am a shadow.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the process.

Review:

Vasalie is pulled from her prison cell to stand before the King she once danced for as his Jewel. He has a task for her – attend the Gathering as a performer and spy on his brother. The only problem? After so much time spent not being able to move about in her cell she is a shell of her former self, pain and fatigue plaguing her and hindering her abilities.

A very bingeable debut romantic fantasy!
Vasalie is a fantastic character to follow. Through the story, she goes on a journey from a broken human who can barely remember who she is and what she loves to someone with courage who knows exactly what she wants and is not afraid to take it. I also really appreciated how her disability was a constant thread and not something that popped up and disappeared whenever was convenient.

The other characters were interesting too and I enjoyed how the various relationships developed, especially between Vasalie and the two potential love interests. The author kept me on my toes – I wasn’t sure who would be the one, and I liked reading Vasalie’s thoughts as she questioned all her relationships – who can she really trust? Why does this person feel shallow all of a sudden?

The plot is solid too, and the politics underpinning it all were great. You could never tell which power had the upper hand, and all the twists and turns caught me off guard which I loved.
Arena’s writing is lovely, lyrical and descriptive. The settings we found ourselves in were gorgeous and I could easily imagine them myself. I noted that some people struggled with too much detail and felt that it slowed the story down, but that wasn’t the case for me at all as I do love some immersive worldbuilding.

Overall this was a brilliant read and a very strong debut novel! Romantasy fans who also enjoy some political manoeuvring will no doubt love this book!

Thank you SO much to @reverieandink and @bloomsburypublishing for sending a review copy my way! (Lets take a moment for the STUNNING cover. *swoon*)