Game of Thrones + Mass Effect = The Last Watch. A winning combo for me.

The book's POV switches between Cavalon Mercer (bratty, overeducated, but ultimately kind-hearted royalty) and Adequin Rake (no-nonsense, rough past, but ultimately a huge softie). These characters embody two of my favorite character tropes, and their developing friendship was a huge draw for me throughout the story. They're surrounded by a band of "misfits" (I use that word loosely) and I just know we are being set up for some amazing found family content. The friendships and connections between characters felt really engaging and natural, but I found some of the romantic content a bit unnecessary and heavy-handed.

Spoiler

Luckily for me, that problem was solved in the final act of the book when Rake's love interest was killed off.

I really hope the following books lean into the strong platonic relationships begun in The Last Watch

Being the first book in a series, it carries the burden of world building and laying the groundwork for following books. It sometimes falters under the weight of that task, but ultimately by the end of the book the "rules" of the universe feel natural and set up perfectly for subsequent novels in the series. I'm really excited to see where this series goes!