Both Raisa and Han make their way to Oden’s Ford for schooling, their paths continue to intersect. And unfortunately, Oden’s Ford is not the new start that both of them hoped it would be. Old enemies are also around, and both of them struggle with some aspects of their schooling. As Raisa and Han get closer to one another, they’re also keeping important secrets that may come back to bite them.
Han is struggling with the revelations about his past and his newfound powers. He’s frustrated and clearly doesn’t want to be anyone’s pawn but also trying to figure out how to navigate the new landscape he’s in. He’s in a situation where many of his skill don’t help him, and there are very few people he can trust. There’s a mysterious man offering to give him magic lessons which Han needs, but Crow seems to have his own agenda as well. Plus he has to deal with Bayar twins as well who clearly have it in for him. And his heavy workload is putting a strain on the relationships that he does have. Raisa is clearly beginning to get a better picture of the politics she’s dealing with, and the fact that while she does have allies, they might have entirely the same agenda that she does. She has a lot to learn, but for the most part, she navigates a lot of her new situation well. It’s in her relationships that she’s struggling as well as figuring out how to handle her return home when that comes.
Neither of them had an easy journey to Oden’s Ford, and both of them find their studies more of challenge than expected. It’s really interesting to see the way both of the main characters are growing and changing from the first book. It’s more obvious in Raisa as she was the more immature of the two, but you can also see the changes in Han as well. It will be interesting to see if those changes play a role in the way things go when Han learns Raisa’s real identity. That’s a secret that is probably going to come out in the next book. Their building romantic relationship really does work, and I’m hoping that Raisa’s identity won’t completely destroy it. There are quite a few threads that are left dangling like who Crow is, when Han will find out Raisa’s identity, what’s really going on in the Fells while they’ve been away. It’s the kind of book that make you immediately want to dive into the next book in the series. Four out of five stars.
Bingo – School