Inheriting a city full of anger, corruption, and fear isn't exactly what a future Contessa would want. Sofia Scaligeri desperately wants to change her home, but it seems impossible with all the enemies they face. When a Concordian engineer, Giovanni, agrees to build a bridge over the Irenicon, a solution starts to present itself. But with a deadly Wave coming, no one can tell who will survive.

While IRENICON by Aidan Harte has a really interesting premise, I ultimately couldn't get into it as much as I wanted. The setting is very intriguing, and I like all the use of the water element, but most of the world building left me confused. The snippets of information between some of the chapters is helpful in answering some questions, but most of the time they made me more puzzled rather than clarifying the scene.

I didn't grow to love any of the characters, but Sofia is nicely complex and engaging. She grows as she faces challenge after challenge, and I like how she starts to mature into the role she will hold later. I also like the side romance between her and Giovanni, even if the ending left me a bit upset. The writing overall is smooth, and I think I will read more novels by Aidan Harte.

Overall, for anyone who wants to try a different kind of adult fiction, IRENICON by Aidan Harte might be a good fit. I think in the end, the story and setting just wasn't for me, but I could easily see someone else really loving it. I will definitely remember Sofia, and I will still look for more from Aidan Harte.