Week 22 Review: Scribbled in Margins

From Goodreads:

They were sent into solitude, yet neither of them was ever truly alone.

Wrongfully accused of insulting a man of higher rank, a bright young man is banished to a remote post where he must stand watch over a signal fire. Batu isn't entirely alone, though. There's an orange-robed monk who checks in on him from time to time, and he's somehow befriended a golden eagle. But strange things begin to happen when the guard changes in the next tower over.

Qara can't bear to face the future her father planned, so she runs away, pretending to be her older brother. But her new commanding officer isn't so easily fooled. For her own good, she's bundled off to a mountaintop watchtower. Qara is safe, but the cold and the solitude become too much to bear … until she befriends a wild sheep, a cheery villager, and the man in the next tower over.

My Review:
This was a really great story! Though I definitely got confused right at the beginning, because Qara pretends to be her brother-and then her brother turns out to be in the next tower over, leading a pretty similar life, and I was confused about the change in pronouns! But once I got that sorted in my mind, things made a lot more sense!

I don't know exactly when this takes place in the timeline. I think it's most likely in the running 2nd to 4th place as the earliest taking place in this world, what with the technology level, and how they have the watch towers and such, that doesn't seem like something that has been in use for a good 200 years.

We get a little bit more about the amaranthine trees, because there's a whole village here. And about the people who bond and take care of those trees. It was really great to watch Qara and Batu and their respective courtships!  

Plus we got a bit more insight into enclaves, because we haven't spent much time in them. Particularity the ones that are cooperatives, that bring different strengths to the table. And seeing it from an outsider's perspective, coming in, just like book 2. Loved that!

Loved reading this story, and if there are any more (since the main series only has one more book to go) I'll definitely read it! 

Author: Forthright
Series: Songs of the Amaranthine #9
Read: June 2nd, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Twinkle Press
Published: April 4th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars