I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I embark on a search for the latest fantasy series to get into, I am always very cautious. Quite often, I will start the book with high expectations and find myself let down. Let me just tell you something now: THIS NOVEL WAS AMAZING AND EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS! So here is my review:

On a planet far from Earth live descendants of marooned space travelers. These descendants have built their own kingdoms with their own way of life. But with kingdoms come warfare, and these descendants have been fighting a decades-long battle. Scholar Victoria is oblivious to everything except for her Logbooks, but one day she is captured by pirates and sold to a powerful and sadistic tyrant. He enslaves her, keeping her naked and locked up in a secluded tower while subjecting her to psychological torture. Just as she is about to lose all sense of her identity, Victoria manages to escape. And with this opportunity, she makes it her mission to fight against her former captor and exact her revenge. But the stakes are high, and Vic must ultimately decide: will the revenge bring her the release she desires, or will it destroy her only chance for happiness?

This is an amazing novel! I began reading it with no expectations and found myself caught in its story, unable to put the book down. When I was reading, I didn't even remember about the space travel aspect, because the social and political situation that was described on this new planet was so intriguing. The author also did a fantastic job in character development; Vic's growth is done flawlessly and makes the reader really love the character. The one slight negative I would point out is that the novel began in a way that presumed the reader already knew detailed elements regarding the Logbooks and the space travel that occurred in the story, and the aspects of magic. This presumption was also present at another point in the novel when magic becomes the central focus; the origins and the way in which magic was acquired was a little lackluster in comparison to the rest of the novel. The story is graphic in its depiction of the horrors Vic faced at the hands of her tormentor, so readers should be aware of that! All in all, this story was packed with adventure, love, and revenge, and I am already impatient for the next novel in the series! If you are looking for an intense fantasy/sci-fi novel to read, then do yourself a favor and check this one out. ( )