I don't really know what to say about this book that hasn't already been said! It was a very thought-provoking and engaging read, packed to the brim with an intricate magical system, a plot informed by the history and culture of Victorian England, and a pointedly anti-colonialist message at the heart of the story. I really enjoyed reading about linguistics and the history behind linguistics. In particular, I was fascinated by the use of etymology within the magic system. The footnotes were my favorite part to read, as they added a whole separate layer to the story, introducing historical context and character backgrounds.

I was intimidated by this book going into into it (especially after reading similar academia-fantasy novels such as "The Atlas Paradox"), but was it a lot easier to read than I expected. The footnotes, especially, helped to make this book more digestible, as I didn't really have to know much about the historical context going into it.

My only qualm with this book is the characters ended up feeling a little flat to me. There are so many characters in this book, but none of them (except Robin) truly felt fleshed out and two-dimensional.