I loved Amanda’s debut when I read it last year, so going into this I had high expectations. They were met and exceeded.

I freaking loved this book.

I remember this being pitched as Six of Crows meets Spirited Away, and that truly is a perfect combo. There’s no heist, but there are lovable morally grey characters and magic and binding curses and all sorts of mayhem.

The story is one of very high stakes, told over the course of ten days as things go from questionable to bad to outright terrible. It’s written so, so well, and I was hooked from the start. Even though it’s slower at times, this novel intrigued me, lured me in, and I was done for.

New Reynes is the City of Sin. Each person has two abilities, one from each parent, and they range from elemental magic to dancing to counting and more. The City of Sin has crime families and gangs and it’s deceptive and dirty but also devastatingly brilliant. There were so many little details all around. It was a vivid setting, rife with tension. I absolutely wouldn’t want to go there, but I still love it.

Enne and Levi are my sweet deadly favs. Enne is a proper young lady/upcoming street lord that will eat your cookies and fix her lipstick before stabbing you with a stiletto. Levi is an established street lord, con artist, and precious bi boy that occasionally cheats at cards. I love them both so much!! I just can’t handle it.

Together Enne and Levi are 100% a Slytherpuff power couple. Their romance is excruciatingly slow-burn, almost minor enough to not be a romance, but in the end that tension and desperation pays off. They kiss and they kill and I love it. Okay, at this point they haven’t officially become a couple but come on. I know what’s coming.

There’s also a genderfluid side character, a killer girl power friendship, gang tension, murderous card games, poison, acrobatics, and plenty of times where things go very wrong. It’s one of those fun reads where you don’t know what will happen until it happens and you’re very afraid because everything is super high pressure but you still love it. Come on, how could you not? At least, that’s my experience with this novel.

The end was super mysterious and left me wanting oh so much more, but unfortunately I have to wait until next April for that... unless somehow I can get my hands on an arc? I’m not sure if arcs of this book were a thing or if the sequel will have any, but hey, a girl can dream.

I wouldn’t say this novel is a new all-time favorite, but it’s definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf and is one of the best books I’ve read this year. 10/10 would recommend to everyone.