Trigger warnings, descriptive violence, fighting scenes. Blood, alcohol, sex, Rape and torture.
Disclaimer: I will discuss scenes from the book. These are my own thoughts and. Feelings there will be spoilers ahead.

Frist thoughts:

I was honestly hooked from the first page, we were introduced to Jascha who is passing though wild rose, until he is captured by the rosencercle a group of women wearing golden masks who are trying to find their dreamer leader reincarnated. And are knowledgeable about ancient rituals casing Jascha to black out and leaves strange markings on his body. It is a shocking but a compelling opening that wanted to keep me reading.

We are then introduced to the main character and her family the lionhelms, Tecla who is fourteen at the beginning of the book, she honestly took awhile become likeable to me, but I found the age gaps between the siblings and their roles within the family. Quite interesting.
Tiain Tecla’s father rules over StrongShore and was a fearsome warrior, during his youth, he becomes the lord. With his wife Voladea, who deals with the affairs of the family and the future pairings of the lionhelms.

Worldbuilding:

We are first introduced to StrongShore, which is the main city where the lionhelms reside, we are slowly introduced to the region though Tecla.
Where she visits the temple on the dusk days and payers to the holy fire. She is deeply interested in the book of the oracle.
The holy commander is the leader of the temple, an interesting detail and well crafted, the way it weaved into the sliverlands history and was the foundation of peace, after years of war.
Other places are mentioned such as the peaks of Noirmont in the fog lands inaccessible due to the violet delusion an incurable disease killing off the people infected, it to home to the beast of the three crosses and the noble house of Rochealic.
The Zelion dephs are a mysterious group of islands where Theliel and Sainks set sail with the regency’s stolen slivers. These islands are home to strange and almost hostel tribes.
The Sand Towers are home to the sons of Fergunn it is a place of hot sands and desserts, they have a navy military rivalling the one of the lionhelms, they employ the old ways of still keeping slaves. We learn more of their culture During Tecla’s brief but reluctant stay. She undergoes a manner of rituals using potions made by the mothers and the all mother at the scared site of Hvallar where she is suspended on a raft over green pools of scorching water.
I honestly found this part unsettling a little, because the eldest son was gentle, but the middle bother penetrated Tecla before she was ready, this would be incredibly painful I imagine and found my heart brake when Tecla cried and wanted to leave the sand towers.
I didn’t really like the bothers save for Morkr, who actually seemed to care for Tecla’s wellbeing.

I extremely enjoy when myths and legends are added to the world building and flows flawlessly with the story and gives insight with each explanation.

The most unsettling scene:

This is a personal choice, out of many scenes only because this piratically stayed with me for days. I do not have a scene I disliked. But I have to admit when Tecla received the darling mind from her father. I really didn’t trust the jewel, there was something about that stuck within my mind.
When Tecla wanted to see if she could have visions like the angels of steel, she visits the temple and convinces a commander to see if she can receive the vision though sex. She does indeed receive the vision about the Rosenfeld castle an abandoned castle owned by the Rosenfeld’s a noble family who disappeared.
Tecla witnesses the supernatural chaos unfolding there with the regency guards escorting her bother and a fellow lord.
The chaos begins slowly, with the doors opening by themselves and a fire breaking out inside the castle without reason, the men protecting the two lords are slaughtered outside by hundreds of flying arrows coming out of nowhere and some ended up being burnt to death, but the most disturbing thig about this scene is Theliel following a young girl throughout the castle when she is asking for help and finds himself on the battlements before realizing she wasn’t real and turns into a skeleton in front of him. And when the vision Ends Tecla has killed the commander by rapturing his heart.
This is why I think the scene is most unsettling for me because it stayed with me for days even when I read beyond the scene. To be so captured by a vision you had no idea you supernatural kill someone would be frightening.

My Favourite scenes:
I have about three favourite scenes throughout the boo.
I actually liked Tecla’s ball, being held in her honour it gave us a chance to meet the other lords, and it was her frost meeting with the sons of Fergunn. I didn’t really get why they gave her a box of smoking plants for a present, but I found the scene amusing.

The second was any scene with old Tamar, I thought she was cool old women weather it was being rude to someone and bossing skainks around, ore her fearless to speak whatever is on her mind.
Or see though what others in the regency thought to be a simple murder, her willingness to take on the rosencercle because of her personal connection to one of it’s members is admirable, however this also led to her being killed by way of magical fire. I think she was one of the saddest deaths for me in the book.

My third favourite scene in the book was when Jascha fights lord nonbelief for the sand steel swords and actually wins, this scene not only displays how skilled Jascha is with a dagger, but also the fact he managed to fend off a sword, these skills are later used against a duel with the blacksmith against the sand steel swords. Jascha is ruthless whatever his actions, but he is one of more enjoyable and complex characters, his actions will either confuse, scare or show you his flawed kind side.

An honourable mention:

This was a good scene I think when Tecla is staying at the observerty vault in the capital and old mlita finally tells her the secret of the darling mind, I a, wondering what happened to the other half of the jewel. We learnt there are three stones which gift the power to allow anyone to see, regardless if they have the gift of foresight. However, it comes at a cost and taints one soul with each use, or it can make people ill.
The quiet tear is another stone they were lost for a time in the sliverlands. However, these new details cause Tecla to question her beliefs about the oracle and the truth history with the revelation the oracle had a sister known as the dreamer.

The characters I liked

Tecla Lionhelm: I admire Tecla for her compassion and willingness to help others, but throughout the book, she sees the world differently especially during her visit to the sand towers with the exposure to a new culture, even when escaping she tried to assist lord Jarvis, while I appreciate Tecla’s willingness to help the lord, she forgets she is being shot at with arrows.
I honestly wonder how her Character will change.

Jascha Even with him being a villain in the series and is responsible for many deaths, Jascha is capable and smart finding information about rosencercle and even a few of their members, while I do not agree with al of his actions, such as the rape and murder of Yenny. I do know that he is flawed, I am still trying to work out if the quiet tear is responsible for his illness.
I often find myself liking the villains more then the hero characters.
I was honestly glad Jascha killed Thum and unknowingly saved Tecla towards the end
Lyzon I’m hoping to see more of her in the next book and what actually becomes her fate after plunging into the icy waters.

Orpheus: To me orphues was the most human of the characters, even working for the regency, he cared for their ideals to help the common people and even cared about the missing people vanishing after entering wild rose, he wasn’t ever sure working for the regency was his calling, but I am glad he left when he saw the conflict between the common people and his fellow offers even if it meant he got a nasty blow to the head. I am glad he lived. I have a feeling he will be wanting revenge for Ranatha’’s death.


Characters I least liked:

Voladea Lionhelm: She reminds me of one of those family members, your siblings tell you to steer clear of.
I found it amusing her head reeled over the smell of piss and faeces. What did she expect someone imprisoned on a boat to smell like?
throughout the book, she is cunning and even goes as far as outright disobeying her husband’s wishes, Voladea made choices which directly affected her family and even had led to many of their death’s. I feel an odd satisfaction at her being ignored by her son. Who was crowned as king of the south. I never really liked her to begin with to be honest there wasn’t anything about her personality or actions too like. She really deserves to be a part of the furniture.

The ending:
I found to be completely insane, the fight between the regency and the rebellious common people leaves a trail of death, blood and flies whenever war is afoot the conflict always leave devastation in it’s wake.
The demise of Tesfira makes me think she died swiftly one more Lionhelms is added to the growing list of graves. I do feel somewhat sorry for her as she was a pawn in a political game.

I honestly couldn’t believe Jascha had managed to take down Thum of the sons of Fergunn. The death ended so swiftly it left me in shock.
So the ritual in the prologue with the rosencercle capturing Jascha while he was passing though wild rose. Possibly led to his sickness because of the quiet tear? Which has now been removed from is body during his encounter with Tecla, who is now in possession of both the darling mind and the quiet tear.

While I am saddened by Rantha’s death anyone foolish enough to outright attack Jascha tends to end up dead. I do commend her healing skills, she could have found a cure to the violet delusion, had her reckless actions caused her own death.

So Jascha revealed himself to be Soley Jascha Rochealic I thought that might be the case after reading Empress of beasts and mists. It seems like half the land is at war and this has been building up since the beginning. StrongShore and the capital seemed untouchable wealthy and at peace. But midway though the book the system the regency used was slowly breaking down with the loss of their forces. The chaos began in wild rose and swiftly increased when winter started, as starving people fought for anything they could get their hands on. And people were killed and robbed.

The lands are divided and the trouble is only beginning with the sons of Fergunn marching on the kingdom of Duxria.

In conclusion This book is for mature audiences but is absolutely brilliant and is what made me start reading adult fantasy. I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy an epic controversial fantasy and are looking for something different to read.