RANTS AND RAMBLES
DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).

• There are so many info dumps in this book. They are painfully obvious at the beginning, prevalent for the first half of the book, and persist in some quantity until the end. Inelegant, marginally effective, and often interrupting action and dialogue, these dumps only occasionally provide information that the reader needs or is interested in. They served the dual purpose of killing momentum and mangling the pacing of the story. Even starting the book is a chore because the prologue is nearly completely exposition but without the explanation. Tons of names, places, creatures and more pepper the pages, making me feel lost right out of the gate. It probably would have been better to axe the entire prologue.
• The writing is generally good, though there are certainly instances of odd word choices which had me scratching my head. For example, one character is described as having a neck the size of a small tree. I’m assuming this means his neck is large, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense because small trees are, in fact, small. Overly flowery language also hampers readability at times with comparisons or metaphors which don’t ring true. There is also a lot of flowery language, even when the situation does not necessarily warrant it. For example, the main character wears a dress early on which is described in excruciating detail and border-line purple prose language. The problem is that this isn’t a particularly special dress. When extraordinary language is used to describe ordinary things, there is no good way to provide import or impact to truly extraordinary things in the future.
• There are two main characters in this book, Luscia and Zaethan, and the chapters switch back and forth between their perspectives. Kolarich does a lot of good here using language specific to each in their portions of the book, providing some passive insight into their character and frame of mind. Here is where the in-world words help to flesh out the characters. In Zaethan’s sections, the term y’siti, a slang insult for Luscia’s people, is used frequently, efficiently driving home his opinion of her and her race. Luscia’s sections obviously do not contain this word (except when said by other characters), but they do have plenty of other words which flesh out her background, prejudices, and culture. Good job on Kolarich’s part.
• Lumin is the all-powerful element in this world. It can mutate animals, make them or people very strong or resilient, make strong iron which burns and corrodes, and any number of other effects. This one-size-fits-all type of element is a bit lazy (like vibranium in the MCU which is super strong, powers nano-technology, creates holograms and shields, and much more) and makes no logical sense. In a small way, it makes the world of the book less vibrant and a little more like a two-dimensional picture.
• Many things related to the politics of the world only make sense once the reader understands enough about the government to grasp what is going on. Due to pacing and expositional issues, this happens at the half-way point of the book. This makes the first half of the book a chore to read, but it didn’t have to be this way. A more focused story, single main character, and more care taken with plot events could have introduced the necessary elements in a quicker, more succinct manner, speeding understanding in the reader and subsequent enjoyment of the book.
• There is a lot to like about the unique world of this novel. It should be a grounding point for the story, a detail which sets it apart from other similar novels, but execution often squanders the potential. For example, though there are many provinces of various climates, shipping lanes, cities built in trees, and many areas both rich and poor in the royal city, most of the book takes place in the relatively generic halls of the castle. There is one scene which takes place on a floating bazar which is an incredible visual and should make for a cool set piece. Unfortunately, this scene plays out the same as it would at any other locale. Missed opportunities like this litter the novel and make the world feel a bit flatter and blander than it should have.
• MINOR SPOILERS: Despite a few illogical aspects, racism in the book is portrayed quite well due to the visceral and persistent forms it takes. Slurs, insults, and prejudices against Luscia and perpetrated by her are real obstacles which must be overcome. Her attempts to move past the racism are some of the best moments in the story. The reality of cross-castes, the result of inter-breeding between races, adds an additional layer to the situation. Kolarich uses the politics of the world to deal sensibly, if not heartlessly, with these populations. Because representation in the kingdom is based on what house a person hails from, the cross-castes do not have a seat at the table and are second-class citizens, sold as slaves and viewed as expendable. This is logical based on the world and sets up organic tension for the characters.
• MINOR SPOILER: An inherent difficulty of having two main characters in a novel is that they know different things which often leads to redundancies. For example, in the brothel scene, we know Zaethan does not frequent the establishment, but Luscia thinks he does. Because this scene is from his perspective, we do not have Luscia’s internal dialogue to keep us abreast of her realizations when a third character mentions that Zaethan does not go to the brothel. Nor does the author trust the reader to put together the pieces and understand what Luscia has learned. Instead, Kolarich is painfully overt in making sure the reader understands what Luscia has deduced. There are also a fair number of times the beginning of a chapter recaps events we have already read about but from a slightly different perspective. This redundant bloat halts the action and should have been cut out of the novel.
• SPOILER: Some plot points go absolutely nowhere. For example, Zaethan has the opportunity to turn Luscia in for breaking the law and have her booted from the Quadran, something he absolutely wants to do; however, he opts to keep the transgression a secret if she will teach him to use weapons unique to her people. I eventually surmised this was so he would have an edge in combat should his leadership position be challenged in which case he would need to fight for it. Later, Luscia decides to stop teaching him before he has learned the secrets of her people, and the challenge to his position never comes. Nothing comes of this arrangement or the breaking of it. Instead, it exists to create some artificial tension between Luscia and Zaethan. Slightly related, I predict they will end up falling in love over the course of the series. The book tries to set up another guy as the third character in the love triangle, but I don’t buy that particular red-herring.
• SPOILER: Though not too egregious, there are a few important coincidences which significantly impact the plot of the book. Zaethan’s first big break in the case of the serial killer comes purely by accident when he and his men are patrolling a market and the killer knocks tiles from a roof. And this happens basically immediately after they start looking for the killer. Good thing they were right there at that time. Later, he overhears plans which I assume are for a coup to overthrow the kingdom (though this has not materialized by the end of the book, so I’m not sure) because he was looking for an empty room to think in. Finally, he acquires the help of Luscia’s pet to find her near the end of the novel because he forgot his injured soldier had been moved to a different location. Without these coincidences, the story would have ended differently, and that feels like a cheat.