Long Live

THIS book. This book right here is why I love reading. I read pretty much any genre and I'll try anything, but epic fantasy with magic, characters who drive the plot, twists at every corner, banter, mystery, and high stakes is exactly what I go for. Every. Damn. Time. There's also books that check off all those boxes but still might not pan out well. Not this one. I cannot think of a single page where I got bored, had to overlook something, or got annoyed with the characters. Every single POV was needed and worked in favor of the story rather than detracting from it. The romance isn't in your face (ya'll don't come at me, but too much spice is getting old and has started to ruin some fantasy books for me, especially when the books are advertised as fantasy/romantasy). The balance here was perfect. Isla holds her own and then some, the elemental magic was written beautifully, the history and world building were the cherry on top of the lore, and even when I felt like I knew where things were going I was proven wrong. Ya'll...if your genre preferences align with mine, read this. And then the next, because I'm already adding that baby to my tbr.