Kol’s clan has been facing hardships for years: they haven’t seen other clans for a long time, their food sources are dwindling, and they are struggling to survive in a world where hunting and fishing is prevalent. When Mya and her clan arrive at their shores, hope is rekindled in Kol’s clan, and they finally see a way out of their current predicament. Kol goes out hunting with Mya to get to know her better, but her trust in him is lost after Kol makes a grave mistake. Her anger, already simmering under the surface for years, ignites after another clan appears on Kol’s clan’s shores - a clan led by Lo, whose dark history is intertwined with Mya’s. As Lo tells Kol the truth of what happened between her and Mya, war breaks out between Mya and Lo’s clan, and Kol has to pick a side before it’s too late. 

I thought the decision to write the story from Kol’s perspective talking to Mya was an interesting decision, and it also gets explained further into the book so any initial confusion when reading gets cleared up. I also liked the vivid descriptions of family events and daily life in Kol’s clan in the book, which helped me understand the atmosphere of the story more. 

Mya and Kol both generally felt like real people, and despite their rather awkward exchanges throughout the majority of the book, they both had quite a bit of character development. I saw a lot of development for Mya in particular, as she gradually opened up to Kol through the course of the book. Pek was another character who showed a lot of character development, and I felt that he matured a lot over the course of the book. Pek and Seeri’s relationship was a good example of persevering in hard times, and I think their relationship was very well written. 

I think this book would have benefited from more character development on Lo’s part, as I felt that even by the end of the book I didn’t know much about her as a person other than the hardships she suffered in the past. The plot also felt like it was dragging at points, fixated on various traditions of the clans involved. While they helped lend an air of authenticity to the story, they felt a bit long and suffered a bit from the “telling and not showing” way of storytelling. There were also a lot of characters, some of which appeared briefly and weren’t seen again, so I struggled to keep track of some of the characters’ names. 

This story is a great casual read for anyone who wants to read more about a society without technology who relies on nature to survive. Also, despite the intensity of it, I’d say it’s a good book for anyone who would like to read an action book that they can read in a few hours while relaxing. After finishing this book, there’s a sequel called Obsidian and Stars from Mya’s perspective that readers who enjoyed this may also like. 

I’d give this book an 8 out of 10 for good character development and relationships, as well as atmosphere and plot. Overall, it’s a really nice read and a well written book with very few flaws.