Reborn

this was a pretty good book. i have Reforged deep in my tbr and it seems like i should have read that first because although the religions and the cultures of this world was very well built, super interesting and seamlessly embedded into the narrative, i felt like the magic system(the gedroks and the arcane etc) was not as detailed. i assume that's because Reforged has already established the magic system? so i'll likely be reading it next. the characters were developed and personalities distinct - i particularly love the contrast between Radek's flirty and bold character vs Izra's conservative nature haha.

plot-wise, it was a pretty standard resisting-the-villain type storyline, and pretty slow-paced. i think even at 40% they were just traveling and sending messages. the romance, though, is very sudden - they jump from practically strangers to lovers real quick after the binding ceremony. starting from halfway stuff gets fun and the pace speeds up. as a side note i love how unique a role Radek's playing cards(which have similar characteristics to tarot cards) have in the plot and the arcane.

overall Reborn is an engaging novel with immersive storytelling - i'll definitely look out for the author's other releases!

disclaimer: i received an advance review copy for free, and i'm leaving this review voluntarily.