TW: violence, gore

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This epic fantasy follows Tau, a soldier in training, in Omehi where the people have been fighting a war for around two-hundred years. In an endless war, why would anyone join the ranks to fight to certain death? Tau has these thoughts, except when someone close to him meets an unfortunate fate. Fueled with rage, hate, and vengeance, he fights his way to revenge, and maybe something more. There is a line between man and god, and many in this world are toeing it.

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This book was incredibly entrancing. Even though it took me a bit to read, it was so worth it. The world is so expansive, the characters have unique identities, and the action scenes were so well written. You can tell that Winter had a fun time writing this book. The world was so detailed, I was a little disapointed that the setting descriptions were not more detailed. But, that is a very minor issue within this story. It is, however, something I feel I need to point out. This is a politics heavy book, which I found fascinating. I loved reading about different plans unfolding. The system this world has for ranking people, which is based on bloodline, was captivating. It fueled so much in this world, and seeing this kind of persepctive was a great experience. The sheer amount of characters filled the world and made it feel real. My only issue with characters was that it felt like there was not a ton of development within the chafacters thinking. I think there is development, don't get me wrong, but it is more subtle. But other than that, I found all the characters really great, and the main character, Tau, stands out among the rest within the story. The magic system is new, but also feels old somehow. It is unique, but with shades of classic, Game of Thrones type, magic. Overall, I think this is a really great beginning to a really in-depth and intense series. If you are a high fantasy lover, I recommend this book.