Whaaaaaat??? Why do you do this to me, Garth Nix? This book is getting 3 stars from me but that’s a sort of compromise. Really, the first 40% - 50% of this book is 4.5-5 stars but the latter half is maybe 1.5-2 stars. The first half was good and built up romance slowly and introduced issues and atmosphere at a slow pace too. Unfortunately, the end of the story felt rushed and the romance became so fast-paced and serious I found it suddenly unbelievable. Garth Nix creates such a vibrant world but his pacing here was really off. Still, I love the method he makes and I don’t regret reading it. It added a few bits of lore I find fascinating.