Brynja spent her childhood as a captive performer in Tenebris, the imposing mountain palace of King Kallias. Every night she risked death for the king’s entertainment until his rebellious son, Prince Ballast, helped her escape. Now twenty, Brynja has never forgotten the brutal king. Or forgiven him. Under the cloak of a three-month-long Winter Dark, Brynja is returning to Tenebris for revenge.
Accompanied by a rival court, including the alluring Prince Vil, Brynja poses as diplomatic royalty to barter peace between nations. No one is better equipped to infiltrate the palace than Brynja―she remembers every hidden passage like a bad dream. But her quest to destroy Kallias is complicated by her feelings for Prince Ballast, whom she isn’t sure she can still trust. And Kallias’s own quest to mine a catastrophic weapon of war buried in the mountain’s heart will threaten them all, and force Brynja to face the darkest parts of herself.
The lives of everyone she loves depend on the choices she must make. So, too, does the fate of the world.
This one pulled me in fast, especially with the whole icy palace setting and revenge-driven storyline. The atmosphere was so vivid and tense, and it felt like danger was always lurking around every corner.
Brynja was such a strong character to follow. Her past, her anger, and everything she’s carrying made her journey feel really intense and personal. Watching her return to the place that hurt her the most and take back control of her story? That hit.
The relationships added a lot too, especially with the trust issues and lingering feelings that made everything more complicated. It kept the emotional tension high the entire time.
I actually experienced this by listening to the audiobook while following along with the eARC, and it made everything feel even more immersive. Being able to see the words while hearing the narration really pulled me deeper into the story, especially during the darker, more emotional scenes.
Overall, this was a gripping start to the series with strong emotions, a haunting setting, and just enough twists to keep me hooked.
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