Bryce

Sarah Lin's writing is exceptional in a way that I haven't found anywhere else. All of her characters feel real. They have unique motivations, they have a depth that grows in such a visceral way. The consistency and believability that she infuses into them all is amazing. I truly hope she gets to continue this series and i hope to reunite with these characters in the future.

I loved this book. It very much felt like a more mature version of Street Cultivation. The main character is an actually good person and most of the side characters feel realistic and I really like there diversity in personalities.
The story is great, I love how the world feels big and there's a clear and logical “scale” so that you can see a blurry future state and you're excited about what happens along the way.
The book itself isn't super heavy on the “LitRPG” style elements which is important for me to be able to enjoy the book. It's used well in terms of the story and for providing context.

Really enjoyed this second installment and loved the ending. I did get a bit tired of the rust, dust and ashes being repeated so many times but not enough to impact anything.

It was a fun read. The magic system is different than usual and I like characters that have a good amount of depth. It feels like a lot to have 2 characters with tragic backstories but it works for the book and that's how life goes sometimes. It's good to see the relationship develop in a way that feels natural for two broken people and to be left with that sense of unknown throughout.