Demon in White

I'm giving this book my personal 2023 Book of the Year Award!

If you must rely on rank to command then you've already lost your people.”
“But they do serve you,” Alexander said. “They hang on your every word.”
“Because I have earned their respect. Rank only formalizes relationships between people, Alexander. It does not create them. One has rank because one deserves it, and if one does not deserve it, he will lose his rank.
Or his life. A man would do well to become worthy of his honors, else he will be deposed as a tyrant?”


So freaking good. The character development is at an all time high to the point where I finally connect with everyone. The battles scenes were epic in every sense of the word. But now there is serious political intrigue between the Hadrian and the Empire. He's become to dangerous and is constantly trying to be killed whether it's on unwinnable missions or an obvious murder attempt. Hadrian is stuck between saving himself from the people he's fighting for and fighting the Cielcin for all mankind.