Member Review

3.5 Stars rounded up

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I want to say, first and foremost, that I think my enjoyment of this book was affected because the formatting of my e-galley was incredibly messed up. There were parts of the book that were fine, but when the formatting would get messed up it would really take me out of the story, and then I struggled to understand what was going on, and the sentences did not flow smoothly.

That said, I did think this story was interesting. I was pulled in by the idea of the Greek Gods of fate, and I love the magic system in this book. There is a lot of nuances to the magic system ,and I hope that book two will have a chart detailing the different magics of the different groups. I definitely highlighted these sections so I could go back and reference, but the author also does a good job of "refreshing" the reader on the different magics throughout the book.

I like that the main character felt complex - she was trying to find her way in the world, and trying to help others find theirs, all while grappling with an internal issue of right or wrong. This book grapples the idea of immigrants and people having no true home due to being pushed out, and even genocide of an entire people because one small group was afraid of them.

Speaking of characters - there is a lot of rep in this book! Trans and nonbinary characters get good screen time, and there is even fluid sexuality mentioned as well. This is not a straight, cis-gendered world the author created. And I love that detail about the story!

The book does get political at times, and I will admit that I kind of zoned out at those points. I am not sure I fully understand the Initiative idea, or even why the Riots happened. But, I enjoyed the action bits and seeing the fated romance bloom in the two characters.

There is a lot going on with this book - enough that if you look away or zone out you'll likely miss something important. This is definitely a book you want to give your full attention to, so that you don't miss out on anything. I look forward to a sequel, which I will definitely read.

This book also reminded me a bit of These Violent Delights, in some of the action and maybe the romance-y bits. Definitely in the violence, but also in the gangs and the semi-political subplot as well. So, you know, if you liked TVD then you should probably read this one too.

Overall, I love the mythology woven throughout this story, and the author did a fantastic job detailing out the magic system. I never felt like the story dragged, but the formatting of my e-arc definitely cut into my enjoyment. When the sequel comes out I'll likely read this one again (in physical format that time), and I hope to enjoy it more then. There is a lot to like about this story, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!

Content warnings: animal death, xenophobia, genocide, violence, murder, body horror, death, blood, confinement, transphobia, loss of a parent, toxic relationships, gaslighting