Oh my! I was afraid this book will be over-hyped and I am so extremely happy to be proven that it is worth all the hype. I was intrigued instantly when I heard it's about gay boys in space with the spice of political intrigues and even decided to pre-order it on Audible. No regrets about it!

The main character and one of the "gay boys in space" is Ettian, a pilot in an imperial academy that he ended up in after war took everything from him. Gal is his best friend and the reason his current situation as a star pilot staying out of trouble is turned upside down. What follows is a roller-coaster of political plots, hidden truths, gay pining, running, even more plots and hidden truths, and a rainbow umbrella. That last one belongs to Wen - an unexpected addition to the Ettian+Gal party but one that is highly appreciated once Wen sneaks her way into your heart. Seriously, the characters in this novel are excellently written. I fell in love with Ettian very quickly and I have been cherishing him through every single page to the end. The world building is engaging and the lore unveiled at a good pace. You swiftly become interested in the political scene and you want to learn more about the conflict between the empires - past and present. The foreshadowing is simply *chef's kisses*. Some parallels made me stop for a moment to simply cherish them. The biggest reveal of the novel is not a jaw-dropping plot twist because it's teased throughout the novel. Even if you expect that something of that nature will drop, the execution of the reveal is glorious. The ending had me screaming. I can't wait to re-read this. I can't wait even more for the second book.