The organic development of Jyosh and the skills progression is indicative of a well-thought-out plot, especially how training can be completed in a Tel'aran'rhoid-like place.
I think this is very reminiscent of many Nigerian children today (the torn from cultural roots part), which is sad because we are losing our cultural values fast, and they may be gone forever.
The characters in this book are numerous, and it's no surprise that my favorite character is Zachery Ezra Rawlins. He is a weird and queer guy, and I really enjoyed reading about his character development
The author’s style of writing and world-building is not unnecessarily complex, making the book an easy read. The switch in POVs makes for an exciting change in pace and format throughout the book. Nico, Libby, and Reina’s POVs are baseline YA, while Callum, Parisa, and Tristan lend more jaded experiences.
So this is a YA book, and going into it, I expected the regular YA tropes. While there were a few tropes here and there, it wasn't as much as I expected.
The plot becomes more complex here as the author continues from where he left off in Words of Radiance. So far, I have a feeling the main storyline is yet to start.
The world-building is great, the plot is good, I love the character in this book so much, and the ships aren't that bad. The story is also diverse, something we all look for in books these days.
His relationships with his loyalists improve, even as his journey of self-discovery gathers pace. He now sees them in a light that better mirrors his rapidly-evolving psyche.