I've had this novella on my kindle for ages and, for some reason, I hadn't gotten to it yet. I'm very glad I finally dived in. This is a prequel to the Mortal Enchantment series and it definitely is a great beginning. I loved Rowen immediately. He's a fire elemental who's the heir apparent to the fire court. However, before his mother will abdicate and allow him to take the crown, she has a job he must accomplish. Rowan's heart, however, is torn. His desire to create a better world for his people battles his willingness to accomplish the goal set out by the Queen. This story definitely brought about many feelings! 
 For such a short story, the author was able to paint a picture of this world, so different from ours, while still not overwhelming the reader with unnecessary descriptions. I felt like I could see this world but didn't feel like it took up too many of the precious few pages of the story. I've already told you I loved Rowan but I must also let you know that I loved his best friend, Marcus. Their relationship is so strong even though they're not from the same class and their banter is often humorous, providing lightness to juxtapose the darkness of some of the situations they find themselves in. 
 It's hard to believe how much story was packed into so few pages. The author managed to tell me so much and prepare me for the series quite well. The writing was great and I really enjoyed that the story was told in the male POV. This is definitely a wonderful beginning to this series. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes us next!