I really loved this book, it was exactly what I wanted it to be and it surpassed my expectations. I loved the characters, I loved the growth, I loved the care taken to build this world in a (I hope?) historically accurate way.

My only complaint with this story is how long it takes to feel like anything is really happening with the main plot. Such great care is taken to establish the setting that the beginning felt a bit slow. As someone who really enjoys reading historical fiction, I didn't mind it too much. Also, a lot of that world building is describing the MC's experience of life pre, during, and post being kidnapped by slavers, which is not only important to the story but also important to illustrate for anyone not familiar with the subject, like myself.

Once I hit 70%, I literally couldn't put it down. I have so much love for the core group of characters and the way they come together and fight for each other. A great take on found family, even when you find them in the worst ways imaginable. I loved how many strong, resilient women are in this story, and the way that two cultures come together in the most unlikely circumstances.

I also appreciate that this book doesn't really hand feed the reader information. There are details and elements of the story that connect and the authors don't explicitly explain it, there is an expectation that the reader will figure it out. This isn't an overly-easy read, which made it more enjoyable.