Thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for an advanced copy of this to review! You all know YA Fantasy is one my jams, so I was interested by the summary on this one. Unfortunately, it ended up being kind of a mixed bag for me.

One of the things that this has going for it is it’s an incredibly quick read. It’s easy to jump into the world, and Rutherford really brings you into this world without bogging you down with too many details. Those kinds of fantasies are great if you’re looking for something quick and magical!

However, a lot of the plot felt too familiar in regard to other popular YA fantasy books. I felt it didn’t do enough to distinguish itself from other books in this genre, especially Shadow and Bone. There were too many similarities for me to get too engaged in the book.

Also, I wanted more character development. There are a lot of characters introduced, and none of them are really in-depth characters. They mostly feel surface level. As someone who reads for character, this meant it was difficult for me to really engage with the story.

All in all, this one was a bit of a miss for me. But that cover is still really cool! 

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Eh, this wasn't my favorite fantasy I've read lately. Too many characters, a lot of reference to other YA fantasy. More to come in a review later this week or next!