Plot: 4/5
The plot has two paths through it, one tells of Kyrra’s past and why she wants revenge, and the other is her trying to get it, and these two stories are weaved together perfectly to avoid either one dragging on, and both have enough content to avoid it seeming to spin in circles just to have something to say. Even knowing parts of how Kyrra’s history was doubtlessly going to end, I was as invested in the flashbacks as the current day events. Both storylines had several twists and reveals that tied into each other expertly, and combined into a beautifully told story.

There are a few moments within the plot where it feels as though things happen for plot convenience rather than feeling natural, but this is in the minority and the rest of this incredible tale dwarfs these moments. For the length of the book, it was not often that I felt there were unnecessary parts of the story, each moment felt like an important moment into Kyrra’s journey.

Characters: 5/5
The array of characters were fantastic. Even beyond those central to the story, it felt like every character in the story was fleshed out. The interactions between the characters were great, and the various relationships between them were intricate and felt natural.

Worldbuilding: 5/5
The world itself was intriguing, and its history was deep and well written. The magic system was ambiguous, its uses never really fully explained, which added great amount of mystery with its use. I loved the ideas she plays with when it comes to the gods and how it interacts with the magic. Overall, the worldbuilding was explored well, creating a rich atmosphere for the story to take place in, and tied into the plot so it never felt superfluous.

Writing: 4/5
I read this as an audiobook, which makes it harder to comment on the prose, however, I still found Angela Boord’s prose to be fantastic. It was able to repeatedly pull me into the story and engage me as I listened. The pacing worked really well, which can definitely be a challenge for longer books. I never felt like the story dragged at parts or was too long or too short. There were a few moments where Kyrra would spend time overanalyzing situations trying to puzzle out the truth, but even in these I was just dragged into the analyzation and enjoyed the ride.

Enjoyability: 5/5
I was invested in this story from early on. I enjoyed the two storylines and how they supplemented each other and came together at the end. The characters were fantastic, and the world was so well realized that I am excited to return to this world again. I look forward to the chance to reread this physically so I can pick up on all the details I missed when listening as an audiobook. (Due to the nature of how I listen to audiobooks, I am more easily distracted, this is to no fault of the narrator or Angela Boord’s writing).

OVERALL: 5/5 Magic Metal Arms

Narration: 4.5/5 (This does not come into play for the Overall score)
Gabrielle Baker was the narrator for this book, and she did an excellent job. There were a few moments early on where the voices were difficult to differentiate, but that issue disappeared as the story continued. Her narration gave life to this story in a whole new way and added so much to the various characters.