I was super hyped for this one, as the synopsis sounded amazing, and in the end I was sorta pleased with how it all went? It was atmospheric, and I ended up being really into the romance and everything else, but it always felt like there was something missing, just barely not making things perfect for me.

It's kind of hard to pinpoint what that missing piece exactly was, but I think a bit of it may have come from me expecting a stronger gothic feel to the whole story that wasn't always very strongly there. It was almost always present in the background of the story, but sometimes I could almost forget that this was a gothic fantasy at all. In that sense, maybe this story sometimes had trouble blending different elements and genres present together, as moments where the magic system and royalty of the world took over meant the gothic aspect faded. This was also true when the romance was the focus of the scene. I think this lack of consistent 'vibes', for lack of better word, may have been what made a bit of a disconnect for me. It sometimes felt like I was swapping stories, but with the same characters.

Besides that, I really enjoyed the book. There were many moments where I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see if the characters would make it out of this next harrowing moment okay. There was also no shortage of twists, meaning I went into every chapter curious what it would bring next. I also loved how the magic system weaved into the plot, and how having a magic system so focused on anatomy only strengthened aspects of the plot/gothic atmosphere.

Wren and Hal individually were also quite interesting and strong characters, and for most of the book, I was most interested in them. I loved how Wren grappled with being kind in a world that didn't want her to be, and how Hal struggled similarly as well, except with learning to forgive himself for past unkindness. Their discussions about morality and it's relation to nationalism and duty to their respective kingdoms were interesting, and I love how that played into their perception of self and each other.

Overall, I think I loved the romance the most, though. It still wasn't one of my top romances ever, but I loved what it brought to the story, and there were so many moments where I loved these two together, and how they tried to hold the other up when they would falter. (Also, I really love the bi rep here! And how it just exists without having to be dissected or explained.)

Overall, I definitely will read future books by this author, and can't wait to see what's next!