I didn't expect so much flesh and blood in a book about a magician's apprentice who works magic by folding paper. Yet for all the literal heart in this fantasy tale, it seemed to lack some metaphorical heart. I wanted to like it more than I actually did. And I still do — it's vaguely historical and has a pretty strong and interesting woman protagonist, plus PAPER! MAGIC! But the bulk of it is made up of the kind of quest that tires me as a reader — it's interesting in terms of character revelation but the rules of the world and the objective aren't clear so it all feels too haphazard and interminable. The world intrigues me, though, and the characters are strong, so I'll probably continue the series in hopes of finding that heart. Content warning: Some gruesome flesh and blood stuff, a brief suicide flashback, and the seeds of an of-age apprentice/teacher romance.