Jax starts out as a famous starball player, one of those one-dimensional perfect people we all want to but also hate. Throughout the story, she slowly learns to trust herself, and that she’s so much more powerful than she ever dreamed. When she discovers her destiny as the Sand Warrior and lighter of beacons, she doesn’t really trust herself, until she leans to trust the living sand. Oona starts out as the clumsy sand dancer, with no self-esteem-she doesn’t even trust herself to make basic ani forms most of the time-living in the shadow of her sister’s legacy. Since book 1, there’s been an amazing character arc for each of the main three. If An Tzu carries over some of his godly powers from his felid life, as we’ve already seen he can detect the Mimic, he could be a truly terrifying enemy. It’s already been established that Oona’s living fire can beat the Mimic, so it makes sense that the trio would need a new enemy in the final book. This whole story is amazing! I feel like beforehand An Tzu was kind of forgotten, but now this huge thing of him being, ya know, A LITERAL FELID GOD just adds so much to his story line.

(SPOILER ALERT!! IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK YET READ NO FURTHER!!!) Each of the worlds has its own sand, and each sand reacts to different things. The sand has a mind of its own, a magic tied to the felid gods. Using sand as a magic system is so interesting and different than any other magic. The characters are well-rounded and not at all flat or boring, and you can really understand the lore and culture of the worlds.

This book and the entire series are so well-drawn and beautifully crafted, set in a deep, believable world.

5 worlds book 4 the amber anthem