I really liked this - even more than her newer series. The fantasy world felt real and the south asian setting made it so it was not exactly like every other fantasy novel. The gods and the daiva were cool and original, and the movement/dream magic was interesting too. It was a little long, and I didn't really care for the romance aspect (the relationship felt way more platonic to me) (and the sexual part of the forced marriage aspect), but otherwise it was a solid fantasy novel.

Maybe it’s been too long since I picked up the first book, but I had a lot of trouble getting into this one. I ended up enjoying it, but I don't think it will stick with me in the long run. This one takes place 10 years after the first one. While I enjoyed following Arwa, I still had a better time connecting with Mehr in the first book than with Arwa here (even though they were pretty similar). Like the first book, the romance also didn't do much for me. Overall, it was good, but not as good as the first one.