It's worth saying that somewhere around the midway point of this installment, things pick up and we go from 0 to 60 in the span of a few sentences. This story is engrossing and excellently-written, and it manages to keep me interested in nearly every single character present.

This is also an installment that hits you nonstop with major reveals. I won't spoil any of them in this review, because I really think this story is one that should be experienced as blind as possible (joke not intended, if you've read the book you know why I had to say this.) That said, what I WILL say is that I think Priest's narrative has successfully made me believe in this main couple's romance and love story in a way MXTX failed to do with Hua Cheng and Xie Lian. I don't feel a comparison is entirely fair, but I can't ignore either the way that certain similarities exist between these stories, and frankly, Guardian executes those themes better, in a more believable and heart-wrenching way. I genuinely believe in the romance here, and I'm dying to see where this story goes.

Another point of note is that this book is part of a buddy read between me and my friend, and we were going to continue another series but opted to go for this instead. And I am glad we made that choice, because this is a very fast-paced, engaging read, and devouring it at a steady pace with a friend and discussing it as we go really is enriching this further.