This story was enjoyable and light. Which is odd considering that it was dark at times but it didn't make you think all that much. It was on the young end of YA which was actually really disappointing considering the MCs ages. Han read especially young and naive, which got real annoying real fast. Zhara was better, she seemed to act more her age. Xu was super whiny and felt like a 1 dimensional character. Honestly, aside from how "big and brainless" Han was, and how "dark-skinned" Zhara was, I've no idea what any of them look like.

I wasn't a fan of the constant reference to Han's muscles but lack of intelligence, it felt degrading and rude. Zhara's shame over her skin colour was also bothersome, but I could just be reading into it.

I did order a physical copy to go along with my ARC, since I am interested enough to read the next book, I just hope it is more fleshed out and the characters mature from middle grade-sounding to their 17-18 years of age.

The world building/mythology was fun but again, not as fleshed out as I would have liked. The ending resolved "perfectly," you know? Fast, nothing wrong, everything was what it was supposed to be (or we assume). The plot twists/reveals were unfortunately predictable and before I turned the last page into the epilogue, I had a feeling of what would happen in that last part.

Overall, I didn't love or hate it, I was just a little disappointed.

If the "Good-Looking Giggles" can just not appear in book 2, that'd be great. They were seriously annoying.

Thank you to Wednesday Books, St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!