The slow burn and angst of the two main characters was just so much fun. I was rooting for them the whole way through the story and particularly for Kadou who seemed to be caught between a rock and a hard place between his anxiety and this duty. Evemer is caught in appearance versus reality and Tadek is caught by scandal in an impossible position. Between the three of them they have to cope with complicated politics and people who don't want them to succeed. It's an interesting society with a variety of styles of people and with a lot of people who are determined to do their best and succeed with what they have. I would read more based on this. It did take me a while to get into the rhythm of the story but once I was in I was hooked. ( )

I enjoyed this novel, although I did finish the book with a few reservations. Kadou is a prince with plenty of wealth and power, attended to at all times by kahya (who are not just guards). Kadou, however, also struggles with anxiety and is deeply grateful his sister rules the country, not him. After a fatal incident, Kadou is assigned a new kahya, Evemer, and the tension slowly builds between the two. I enjoy a slow burn romance, but I kept wanting Kadou's ex to get out of the picture, an editor to cut down the length of the chapters, a little more substance and twist to the non-romance plot, and for a more satisfying conclusion. ( )

listen. i love slow burn romances. i love the pining and all that. this book really did well on the slow burn part, but i gotta say, idk what the plot of the book really was. like it was good? there was just a lot of nothing yknow? ( )

Prince Kadou gets in trouble with his sister, the ruler, when a misunderstanding and the tension between him and her lover lead to the deaths of the kahya who serve him. A newly promoted kahya, Evemer, is assigned specifically to Kadou, who is wracked with guilt from the incident and anxiety about... well, everything. Evemer, in contrast, is dependable and confident, says very little and gets frustrated with Kadou who appears to be flighty and negligent. But as the two spend more time together and investigate a counterfeiting scheme, they grow to appreciate and understand each other in a special way.

I almost DNF'ed this because I thought the narrator spent just a little too much time in each character's head, either spiraling thoughts or an internal monologue that distracted me from the events or conversation happening. I got frustrated with both of them for almost purposely misunderstanding each other. And there were details about the world-building - such as renaming the days of the week - that seemed just a little too intricate, even for a fantasy novel. But, 100 pages or so into it, something suddenly clicked. More started happening with the counterfeiting investigation. The characters started to talk and tentatively trust each other, and then eventually fall in love. Indeed, this is the sort of slow burn that I love, that happens naturally as their relationship develops and where the attraction is because they start to really see each other rather than despite their dislike. (It also meant that mere kissing scenes were pretty darn hot.) A satisfying read on both the adventure and romance sides. ( )

I loved this book. Usually I get annoyed at books that don’t move fast enough but I found myself not wanting it to end. Honestly the only good ending would be to go through to the end of their lives. The end of the dynasty. I actually said “oh…that’s it” when I finished it. Not out of disappointment for where it went, just that it ended. ( )