Half a war story of a town nearly decimated by an unknown enemy and half a love story of motherhood, family, and a sense of community. I have never felt this strongly about a book since the Poppy War series and the Green Bone saga. There is something about these voices that speak to my small reader's heart. It is definitely not without its faults: I could point out some of the sharp changes in the characters that I didn't like

(Takeru's redemption arc for one)  

but they can be easily overlooked for me as the pieces come together. 
 
Will be looking forward to any of the books released for this series.
 

Dare I say the main character, Misaki, is a better, more fleshed-out version of KS Villoso's Bitch Queen.