![]() ![]() Her elder sister, Vivenna, was supposed to go in her place, although her father swapped which daughter he sent out of personal preference. She is required to marry the 'god king' of Hallandren and bear him a child. She is sent to Hallandren by her father as part of a treaty commitment to prevent war between the two kingdoms. The story is based around two Idrian princesses who go to Hallandren and have to quickly adapt to its customs. However, what makes the novel is the characterization, which is excellent. The set up is very good and is incorporated neatly into a world that is otherwise recognizable, ruled by absolute monarchs. These 'gods' need to be fed with the breath of the populace to retain their strength. By contrast, the kingdom of Hallandren is brash and colourful, making use of breath in a variety of ways, most notably, by creating a class of 'returned'- people who have come back from the dead to form the ruling class. Idris decries most uses of breath and promotes an austere religion that eschews colour. ![]() ![]() A conflict has arisen because two kingdoms have very different philosophies about how breath should be utilized. ![]() Having lots of breath enables one to carry out incredible feats, such as bringing the dead back to life. The novel is set in a world where 'breath'- loosely speaking, human life force- can be transferred from person to person. A fantastic book, I enjoyed this from start to finish. ![]()
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