I read 'A Noble's Path' immediately after finishing book 1 in the series, 'A Smuggler's Path' because I wanted to stay in this world as long as possible. Probably, my favourite part of both books in the Enchanted Isles series is the worldbuilding. It is a fantastically written world, with breadth and depth, and where magic doesn't solve every problem - in fact, you could argue that it causes as many issues as it solves, and that makes for a more interesting world and story. That magic (and the restrictions and debates around it) are woven into every aspect of the story. Including the history, the politics and relationships of the characters – give it a degree of realism and consequence, without detracting from the sometimes-whimsical nature of the magic, reflecting the almost fairy tale approach within the book.

I was delighted that this book continued following the main character Inez, because she was, without a doubt, my favourite character. A strong female lead (and Latina), who wasn’t infallible, and whose flaws and struggles made her all the more real and relatable. You want her to succeed because she is very human for all that she has her magic. She has hopes and dreams and fears, she wants and needs things for herself and from others around her, and that means that despite the fantastical setting you can’t help but emphasize with her, especially if you question how you would react in a similar situation. In this book, we see her develop even more both individually through the situations she finds herself in, and by virtue of her magic. But also, in terms of her relationships with the other characters.

Through following Inez, we, as the reader, discover the plot and the world at the same time as she does. We’re deep within her mind, experiencing her views and reactions as they happen, and again this helps to draw you both into her character arc, but the story as a whole. This focus on Inez does mean that not as much attention is giving to the fascinating cast around her. We have enough to understand them and their relationships with Inez as well as their goals, but there was not perhaps as much development of all the characters as you might want – I would love to know more about nearly every character that we met. However, this is in keeping with following a single, main character, and so it works for this story and does not detract in any way from the story.

As well as the fascinating worldbuilding, and Inez, I love the use of language in this book. In places, it could pull you away from the flow of the story, but the beautiful descriptions and the detail painted such a vivid mental picture of the world that this is not really a complaint. And again, it built on that feeling of being with a fairy tale and swept you along.