As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

I told myself I could only buy more YA books if I read any new ones right away and started to make some headway with the scores already completely littering my shelves. So here we are. Other than that, I was and forever will be on team Amora and Bastian. It's never going to change and I'm just putting it out there just in case someone wants to challenge me. I love them. They love each other. Even though this whole push pull thing was kind of annoying between them in this book. It was just kind of obvious that they should've been together from the start but noooo - no one said a damn thing. It was annoying. When it comes to approaching those themes, it all depends on the extent of the conversation and how deeply you delve into it. If this were an adult book, it might be a little more graphic, there might be more specific politics involved. I think with Y.A. you have to be mindful that you’re presenting something to a younger audience. You do need to say something—you can’t just put on paper "oh all these characters are dying" and think that's fine. You can’t just leave it blank, because you’re talking to a very young audience. Handling those topics with care is so important. But I also did not want to pander to the audience. They are young, but very mature. They can think about these topics for themselves. Though Yuriel and I are both Montaras, our similarities end at the blood in our veins. With a father who is pale as powdered snow, my cousin’s skin is several shades lighter than my own copper brown. And while my hair is a mass of dark curls, his, like all things in his hometown of Ikae, is extravagant. It’s the starkest shade of white, pure even at the roots. Where I’m tall and curved with muscle, he’s soft and delicate—a poster child for Ikae. You know what I’m talking about. That feeling like a piece of your soul has been left behind because you know your time with these beloved characters is over.

There are several character deaths throughout the novel. There is also mourning and loss for deaths that happened in the previous book. Coming off the heels of the last battle, and Amora gaining the throne, we slip into the after-shot of life with Amora as queen. But it's not pretty. Amora struggles to gain the respect and love of her people, and questions herself and her ability to rule. Let's add the fact that she's still bound to Bastian (I won't give away why in case you all haven't read book one). So, when it's recommended to her that she should begin to find a suitor and give the kingdom a sense of safety, she embarks on a tour of the islands. But isn't a husband she has on her mind. It's a way to break the thingie from the first book's thingie that happened at the end. Amora encounters opposition, and she soon finds out that her position isn't as secure as she once thought. Please?” I rest my smooth hand beside his rough one on the helm, craving the sun-kissed glow and sea-roughened calluses he wears with pride—the telltale signs of a voyager. The tale wouldn’t be complete without a little self-doubt in there, but through the encouragement and support of her friends, Amora can wade through the murkiest waters. But our most distinctive difference is that despite his royal lineage, Yuriel cannot learn soul magic. He gave up that right when he was five years old and accidentally used enchantment magic to turn Aunt Kalea’s hair fluorescent green.

One aspect of this book that I really loved was experiencing different islands while Amora and her crew were on their journey. In the first book, it was hard for me to grasp the magical affinities of each island, but it did not feel as important this time around. With Amora's new law that anyone can practice any magic they wish, learning the designated magics of each island did not seem as necessary. It was very fun experiencing the people and scenery of each destination, and I wish there was more of that in this book. Father’s sigh makes his broad chest quiver. He must sense how badly I want this, because for the first time in my life he steps aside and offers me the helm. My free hand grips the smooth wood without missing a second, and I suppress a shudder at how it feels between my palms.

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