Synopsis
When their father is murdered by imperial soldiers, two siblings set out on opposite paths—one will destroy the Empire forever and the other will save it—in this thrilling new Russian inspired epic fantasy from Jon Skovron.

Sonya is training to be a Ranger of Marzanna, an ancient sect of warriors who have protected the land for generations. But the old ways are dying, and the rangers have all been forced into hiding or killed off by the invading Empire.

When her father is murdered by imperial soldiers, she decides to finally take action. Using her skills as a ranger she will travel across the bitter cold tundra and gain the allegiance of the only other force strong enough to take down the invaders.

But nothing about her quest will be easy. Because not everyone is on her side. Her brother, Sebastian, is the most powerful sorcerer the world has ever seen. And he’s fighting for the empire. 

What I thought
I will be completely honest this was a cover buy. Yes, I can be that shallow to buy a book because the cover is gorgeous. So I am happy to be able to say that I really enjoyed this book.

This is a slower-paced Fantasy novel but I really enjoyed it. There are multiple POVs in this story. You can tell whose perspective it is by the image in the chapter heading. I really loved that each POV had its own symbol. The two main POVs are Sonya and Sebastian siblings that find themselves on opposite sides of a brewing war.

I really enjoyed Sonya’s character; she makes her own path choosing to be a Ranger of Marzanna (Goddess of Death and Winter) knowing that the Empire tried to kill all the Rangers when they took over her country approximately 20 years earlier. Sonya wants to help the people of her country by doing what she thinks is right all in her own way.

Now Sebastian was another story, he annoyed me so much. As strong-willed as Sonya was Sebastian was gullible. Maybe he was overly sheltered because his parents didn’t want him used as a weapon…but still, he had a war hero for a father you would think he would not be so easily manipulated over and over again. Also, his father was on the winning side of the past war and he didn’t want him to join the military. That really should have told him something. It really is hard to believe that these two people came from the same parents. Sebastian is a pawn and I hope his eyes are opened and he grows a set in the upcoming books.

Has anyone else read this book yet?

My Rating: /5

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