This was kind of a weird one. Tattooed people being prejudiced against not tattooed people because they don't wear their choices and deeds on their skin, to the point of war and anti-"blank" propaganda. I mean, it's a weird thing to discriminate against, but it doesn't surprise me.

For a debut book that was written during NaNoWriMo this wasn't that bad. Pacing was wonky sometimes, but that's to be expected. It's a decent first attempt, but the society takes some getting used to.

One storytelling decision that was also kind of odd was putting fables that exist in our world and making them also exist as stories in this world, like Sleeping Beauty and the myth of Pandora. There were other fables that were completely made up for this book, so it's a little jarring to also see familiar stories in this one.

If there is a sequel I'll definitely check it out.