I received an arc for an honest review. I found the plot interesting, and the world-building intriguing in such a way that I needed more of it. Maybe a guideline or a short description at the end of the book: what the huskral/brotherhood is and about -all we know is they are the royal guard. I enjoyed Leyna as a character, even though she got irritating at certain parts of the plot, but I felt her interactions with the ML were a tad bit forced and the chemistry was a bit lost. Quinn and Leyna had a lot more chemistry. The 'spice' scene was a bit meh; I felt it could have been better. Nonetheless, I have enjoyed the novel a lot and I cannot wait for the sequel. ( )

I'm grateful to have received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
The first thing that drew me in was the cover, and then the blurb seemed interesting.

I almost gave up on this book several times. It's so slow in the beginning, and Leyna initially comes across as a vain, proud and truly shallow person. I mean how to you attend a school for 7 years and not have at least one friend, or even try to make one till your final week? She seems to see the worst in the people around her, and the beginning chapters are just tiring with Leyna taking random comments as insults. I honestly couldn't stand her. It got even worse when her mother got introduced and was just another hysterical matchmaker mom, which is a character I'm getting rather sick of.
However I am a completionist, and the world seemed interesting, and I was curious about the Jester so I stuck with it. I am glad it did, but I was almost halfway through the book when the incident mention in the blurb on the back of the book happens, and that's when the story finally starts going somewhere. It's also when Leyna starts to evolve into a likable character.
There are several instances in the the book of Leyna getting a win, just to get knocked down again almost instantly. It ends up being a bit depressing.
The relationship between the Jester and Leyna also starts out kind of tiresome, but as it evolved I think it worked. His identity was pretty easy to put together, but I enjoyed it all the same. Though there were some parts that drew out a little there too, I'll give it a pass as we're dealing with two characters who have to protect a lot of secrets, so it did kind of make sense.
Like I said the story, romance and intrigue start to gain speed at the halfway point in the book, and that's when you get to the part that's worth reading. While I wasn't really surprised with the reveal of the villain, I did enjoy Leyna doing her best to piece things together, and her starting to examine her life choices a bit.

It's hard to rate this one as I feel I would be generous to give the first half 2 stars, but had the whole book been like the second half I would probably enjoyed the whole experience a lot more. I'll give it 3, because one shouldn't have to fight through a book to get to the good part. ( )

What a treat to know there's a sequel! Although this first book stands perfectly well on its own.

Leyna Saunders, up and coming wizard extraordinaire, had an eventful graduation. Between deadly Renegade spells, tipsy friends, wayward demons, mysterious healers, and an above-average number of trips to the hospital, there's barely time for her to worry about whether she and her classmates will be selected for the renowned Huskarls - the King's royal guard. But even as her future seems to be falling into place, she finds herself surrounded by more mysteries than ever as friends grow secretive, her mother renews a bold match-making crusade, and danger lurks in the castle.

Although it starts with magic tests, the technical magic speak quickly eases up. I wish there'd been a bit more, to really establish what can and can't be done (styling hair, common; levitation, apparently not so much?). Oh, and there's a spooky door that chomps people, very fun.

But there's not time to dawdle on those details, because the banter's got to go somewhere. Every scene with Leyna and the Jester (see cover) is easily my favorite, and the mystery of their relationship really carried the early / middle sections of the story for me. From the beginning, the Jester's taunts and teases were sharp and funny, and played an excellent foil to Leyna's seriousness. As we quickly see, there's more to the Jester than flamboyant clothes, and I really liked how his pokes and praises spurred Leyna's temper, and also her growth.

Some of the reveals I guessed, some I didn't. Once in a while the writing was too on the nose for my taste. Toward the middle, the chapters traded between investigative fantasy-mystery and feisty romance, which mostly worked, but was sometimes jarring. I mean, excuse me good lady and good sir, I know you're having a grand time with this flirting, but weren't you worried about the demon dogs outside?

It ain't perfect, but I had a lot of fun.

**Thanks to BookSirens for the free copy for review!** ( )

First, I want to say thank you for the copy! This is cross-posted on Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book; it’s a great medieval romance with magic and the cover is gorgeous. I know “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” is a common phrase, but let’s be honest, a cover is a book’s first impression. My first impression upon seeing the cover was ‘that’s gorgeous, I want to read this book.’

I enjoyed the various tensions throughout the book, sexual or otherwise. The maze scene in the beginning, for example, was a great introduction. It really caught my attention and made me want to keep reading.

The characters, though, was what really made me keep reading. I was so frustrated with Quinn and liked how kind Grace was in the beginning that I wanted to know more about them, and the main couple–

I adored the Jester. He gets a whole star just for himself because he was such a great character. And the chemistry between him and Leyna, loved it. He was light-hearted and comical, and really pushed Leyna’s buttons but enjoyed when she pushed back. I was excited every time he came onto the scene.

Leyna herself, compared to the other reviews, I actually liked her as a strong flawed protagonist. I feel like when people read books about female protagonists they always expect them to monumentally change in some way. Like they have to become “better” by the end of the book, or they’re a bad character. There were moments where I was absolutely frustrated by Leyna’s choices, she’s stubborn to a fault, but that’s honestly how some people are. And the way she interacted with the Jester was hilarious; he seemed to bring out the best in her.

Characters aside. The lore in the beginning was a bit difficult to follow, but most fantasy books are generally that way. They’re starting from scratch. I enjoyed the Harry Potter-esque plot. I also got a lot of Ranger Apprentice feels if I’m being honest, maybe not explicitly in plot but theme.

I do think that the book could have been shorter, which is part of the reason why it’s a 3/5. A lot of the chapters felt like they could’ve been condensed together without losing anything, especially in the beginning. I almost forgot that this book was a murder mystery until a good chunk into it. The murder mystery was exciting, don’t get me wrong, it just took a while to actually get to those events.

I am excited for the next book in the series! ( )

This book was a pleasant surprise! Full of twists and turns, it kept me hooked. It really reminded me of the Green Rider series by Kristen Britain, with a youthful read while still experiencing adult feelings and emotions. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series! ( )