After Gillig’s explosive first series, I was ready to pick up anything she wrote. I jumped at the chance to read this ARC, and now that I’ve finished it… I have thoughts.

First off, the religious and magical systems in this world are incredibly intriguing. I rarely say this about a book, but I actually think it needed to be longer. Some extra worldbuilding at the beginning would’ve helped immerse us more fully in Traum. We spend such little time with the other diviners that when they start vanishing, it’s hard to care. We’re told they love and are loyal to each other, but we’re not really shown those bonds, which made the emotional weight fall flat.

The middle of the book is also a bit of a slog. We get thrown into King Benji’s mission without any context, and the details only come afterward. I really wish that had been flipped—it would’ve made that section feel more grounded and less disorienting.

That said, there are bright spots. The gargoyle? Honestly, a delight. Funny, sweet, and a much-needed balance to some of the heavier (and sometimes cringier) moments. (“Haul ass”… really? That yanked me right out of the mood, lol.)

For most of the book, I was sitting around a solid 3 stars. But then came the ending—unexpected, satisfying, and enough to get me excited for the next installment. I genuinely believe book two has the potential to soar. Let’s see where Gillig takes us from here.

Post note: the gargoyle remains me deeply of Olaf from Frozen lol