I think JLA conjured an intriguing fantastical world and that was one of my favorite elements about this series, but there are limits to how much world-building the series would continue to need. Nektas steps out momentarily to speak to Rhain, while Sera watches the two young drakens, and Jadis not only manages to throw a tantrum, but also set one of the chairs on fire all because Reaver had gotten on top of the cabinet and did not want to come down. It's revealed that Sera cannot have the embers removed from her since the object that allows that to happen is in the hands of Kolis and that is how he removed his brothers and switched places. More seriously though, he was such a big help to Sera in this book, even though he was not always there with her. She then realizes that while Delfai may be able to tell them how to remove the embers, that would mean that the deaths of Gods and Primals would happen the same way as it happened with Kolis, and she cannot have her life exchanged for others.

I could go on and on about every reason I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I would undoubtedly start spilling spoilers, so I’m going to cut myself off here. The following day, Nyktos rides with Sera to the entrance to the Vale, and lets her enter with Nektas. He asks Ector and Rhain to get water and make themselves scarce but then continues to push Sera’s buttons about how her instincts don’t work properly. The next day, they talk about Veses, but Nyktos is unable and unwilling to tell her what the deal is between Veses and him. And every time someone made her feel important because of herself and not because of the embers or because of her purpose, I wanted to hug her.Even though Nyktos does capture her and takes her sword away from her, she manages to gain the upper hand by elbowing him, while getting her dagger out of its hiding spot and holding it to his throat, while everyone else is hooting and laughing. I especially found Poppy’s realizations that forgiveness is easy but acceptance is hard because it means that you’ve come to understand the other person’s actions to be very deep, and there’s a level of maturity that we see from the characters through the pages of these stories. Holland tells her that Queen Ezmeria has been making much needed changes in Lasania, and Sera also finds out that Ezra had married Marisol.

He tells her that while she can protect herself, we all need people to look over us and after us, including him.I had different expectations to how Sera and Nyktos's relationship would develop in the sequel but I was hoping the miscommunication between them wouldn't have been as present and that what mainly bothered me. It's so obvious how the deal they made ''pleasure for the sake of pleasure'' is definitely not at all about that but something more.