4.75/5

Beautiful. Just spectacular from start to finish. I really do not understand the criticism from people saying it is boring. I found nothing boring about it. I come from a background of poverty, which may be why I was fully invested from the start. Bardugo described the hopelessness and dehumanizing experience of poverty very well through Luzia and Hualita early in the book.

For example, the description of Luzia’s mother dying in a pauper hospital was a gut punch for me. She was marched through the street and buried in an unmarked grave. Luzia fears that her life in poverty will result in a similar fate. I also identified with Luzia’s dilemma. She struggled between letting her ambition or her fear guide her decisions. Anything that would elevate her out of poverty came at a great cost. It was also at great risk to herself and those she loved. Nonetheless, choosing to take no risks meant dying an undignified death and being completely forgotten. These are some of the same questions I grappled with while in poverty and working in terrible jobs. I earned terrible wages. So, I was really trauma bonded to Luzia from the start.

Commentary on poverty aside, this book is an interesting blend between historical fiction and fantasy. The magic in this book is a whole vibe, and it felt dark and alluring. Bardugo does an excellent job painting scenes in your head, and the imagery is very vivid in this book.

It also has a romantic subplot. It made me tear up at the end. It takes A LOT to make me that emotional over a book. The romance wasn’t extremely corny like most dark romance stories I have read lately, so that was a huge relief.

The ending was extremely satisfying. I wish I could go into more detail without spoiling anything. I experienced a range of emotions from tears to smiles and cheers. My husband found my emotional responses to this book amusing. I read a lot, and I don’t normally feel this invested.

My only semi-criticism is that I wish there had been more exploration of how the magic works in this book. The descriptions of how she uses magic and the limitations of her magic are a little vague, but upon further thought, I honestly think the mystery of how magic works in the universe elevates the mood the book was aiming for. It is also more realistic this way. The characters themselves do not know the mechanisms behind their magical abilities. Still, I would have liked to understand it better because I’m kind of analytical in my thinking and I like to know the logic behind things.

This is the first book I have been truly impressed by in awhile and I am shocked it isn’t as highly rated as I feel it should be. However, I have seen extremely poor quality books with over 4.5 stars, so I don’t really care what makes people boo when I have seen what makes people cheer on this site.