I read this series after its release in 2012 and remember thoroughly enjoying the books. Now nine years later, I decided to reread the series in preparation for the new Netflix series. I didn't remember anything about the plot in this book when I started rereading it; however, after finishing the novel, I don't think I enjoyed reading it as much as I did at 18.

The book is not bad, the storyline is interesting, but the characters haven't fully developed, including the darkling, who at this point in the story is the most complex character introduced in the book. The author also doesn’t describe what any characters look like in detail, leading readers to imagine all the characters as white. The character who I find the most compelling is the wayward prince, but he hasn't been introduced to the reader yet. Also, the author never explains the magic system in this world. Bardugo doesn’t describe the types of magic users, where magic came from, or why only some people are magic users.

I cannot tell if YA fantasy has developed to include more extensive storylines over the past nine years, or I have developed a higher standard for books as I’ve grown, probably a mix of both. The book is good, but not great. For that reason, I give the book 3.5 stars.