Quick Summary:- You think you know all there is about this world and then BAM, your mind is blown with a whole new side to it → Seriously, holy friggin world building!- A main character who loves maps and books!! Could you get more relatable!?!- A compelling storyline and a new type of magic THAT IS SO SUPER COOL!!!My Review:Let me start by saying reading the Air Awakens series is not necessary to understand this book/world but I HIGHLY recommend it!! You definitely notice a couple little things from the previous books that are in this book and well...GIANT spoiler since this book is about Vhalla and Aldrik’s (the main characters in Air Awakens) daughter. So if you had wanted to read the Air Awakens series/Golden Guard series I would recommend reading those before this book!Now onto the main event, this book was absolutely incredible! I absolutely loved being back in this “world”. I say that in quotes because during the Air Awakens series we got to see a lot of the main continent but one part we didn’t fully see was the North, which is where this book takes place. And while we do see a couple of familiar faces, this book is solely focused on Vi and her journey.When I initially read the Air Awakens series I immediately fell in love with Vhalla and Vi was no different. Vi is a 17 year old woman trapped in an arrangement made by her parents before she was even conceived. For the first 14 years of her life, Vi is to live in the North where she has been hated since before she was born because of the actions of her Grandfather. But 14 years have come and gone and now at 17 Vi is beginning to wonder if she will ever be allowed to go home and be with her family. Between her difficult magic, being trapped in the North and now with the arrival of a senator’s son here to assess her fitness to rule, Vi herself starts to have her own doubts. But while out hunting with her two best friends, Vi discovers some very interesting things about her magic, things that could cost her the throne if she’s not careful. Vi will have some very hard decisions to make that could not only affect her empire but the entire world. You’ll have to read this wonderful book for yourself to find out more, but I promise it will not disappoint!Vi is absolutely one of my new favorite characters!! She is so relatable and comes off as a person you want to be friends with, even though she’s heir to this giant empire and has this amazing magic. Can I just say how amazing it is that she loves books and maps?!? I mean it’s not unexpected given who her parents are but it makes me love her even more! Plus, while Vi may put on this mask of perfect heir that makes no mistakes, underneath it all she is constantly doubting herself while struggling to live up to these expectations that she will be this magnificent firebearer, like her father and his ancestors. I know I can relate in that aspect, well minus the whole magic part but a girl can still hope for a spark of magic right?!Speaking of magic, I swear Elise must have some magic stored away to create a storyline this enthralling!! I was hooked from the first couple of chapters and had a hard time putting this book down! This book is filled with constant action, adventure, friendship and yes in true Elise style even some romance/swooning! Everything about this storyline felt and read seamlessly. I don’t want to give too much away but one of my favorite parts of this book was Vi’s magic! It was unlike anything we have seen in the previous series and unlike anything I have read in other books! I just want to know so much more about it and cannot wait to learn about it alongside Vi!!I have always been blown away by Elise’s world building and this book continues on that trend. She takes this world that you think you know from the previous series and then BAM she blows your mind with a whole new side to it!! The creativity and ingenuity that goes into designing this world is just beyond anything I have ever read. And then when you tie it into her writing style, you feel like you are with Vi exploring ancient ruins or running through this amazing living fortress that honestly sounds like the coolest treehouse ever!! I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a MAJOR world exploration that is going to continue throughout the series. I seriously cannot wait for the second book!!I cannot recommend this book enough!! If you are a fan of Elise’s previous books, especially the Air Awakens series, you are going to fall head over heels in love with this new series as well!! If you haven’t read Elise’s other series I would HIGHLY recommend checking this book out (and her others) if you are a fan of elemental magic, strong/relatable characters and beautiful world building!! This new series is off to a spectacular start and I am so excited to see where it goes in book two!!