And now it all falls apart, in the best and most delicious ways. I thought this was going to be a peace talk book when this started out, but the way that the last third of the book ends up exploding and exposing the big threat that's been lying underneath is truly exquisite. (A small note - we are now at book 9, and soon to be book 10 of this series, can we please consider a dramatis personae list, I've read all nine books in the series and there are still some characters who show up here who I forgot!!). We get a fantastic blend of our old hands and a few new characters while we're at it, and the legal item that Gladstone uses to title this book may give you a hint of where it goes, but that's not for me to tell you yet. This feels like the middle movie of a trilogy - shit fucking sucks at the end of this book, and it looks fucking bad for our mains, but I am absolutely fascinated to see where this ends up going. Five stars, pick this up this fall, and fuck me up.

This book left me reeling in the best way. Max Gladstone has this rare gift where every sentence feels like it’s doing three things at once. It’s sharp and poetic and full of tension that doesn’t rely on noise but on meaning. It challenges you to think and feel at the same time. I love when a book trusts me to follow, trusts me to listen, and still manages to surprise me at every turn. I loved every aching, brilliant, breathtaking part of it.

This book has it all and does not disappoint, a must read sci-fi and one for the shelves, you won't regret picking up this one!
Thank you for the eARC!