H.G. Parry has become an auto-read/buy author for me. As soon as I saw she had a new book coming out, I immediately added it to my TBR. I went into this one blind, and that might have hurt me a little. I didn’t realize it was a retelling of A Tale of Two Cities with fae magic. I haven’t read A Tale of Two Cities before. You don’t need to read it first, but it could definitely help!

I made it about 60% through the book before learning it was a retelling. Parry's writing is incredibly detailed, and her prose is gorgeous. It immediately enchanted me, and I didn’t want to put it down. The way she blends the French Revolution with the fae world was well done. One thing to note about Parry: her books tend to be slower paced. You need to take your time with her words, because it’s easy to get lost if you try to rush. At times, the pacing was a bit slower than I normally prefer. Still, she captured many aspects of the period authentically, including bloody guillotines. I do wish she had delved a bit deeper into the fae world.

The characters in this book are really complex. I enjoyed all the moving parts and how things eventually connected. That said, I did have trouble keeping track of some of the supporting characters, since there are quite a few, and it was easy to lose track of them in the plot. However, the main characters were fantastic, each with so much to lose or sacrifice. Of course, we see the most character growth from Carton.

I enjoyed my time with Parry's retelling. I haven't read the original so I'm sure that would have helped me out a bit. I still didn't feel like I was missing enough that it took away from the overall book. I love Parry's writing and I truly think you need to appreciate her writing style going in. I cannot wait to read what she comes out with next!

Thank you, Tor, for the physical arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own!