I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of this novella going in. It had a cover and synopsis that seemed to show a cross of fairy tales and fae folklore and the politics often found in historical fiction, a combination of which I hadn't really seen before. This all led me to believe it'd be an intriguing, but fun read because it seemed to be using pieces of stories I'd loved before. However, it ended up not being anything like what I was expecting, and not necessarily in a positive way.

While what the synopsis promised was definitely true and there, it was far from the focus. Were the debates tense and did the fate of Parliament hang in the balance? Definitely yes, though somehow it didn't always feel that way. Were there faeries and fae tricks and magic? Also, definitely yes, but it honestly mainly focused on how it was used to get high. Overall, I think I just went in with the absolute wrong expectations, though I'm not entirely sure if I can be blamed for that (was I supposed to just assume ‘High Times’ meant just, actually being high the whole time?)

Maybe if I'd connected more with the main character, I would have enjoyed this more. Instead, I found myself frustrated with her often and while I often like the style of character she seemed to fall into (himbo lesbian very interested in good times and good women), I didn't like this actual rendition. It didn't feel like there was enough real about her, and I felt like her actions and thoughts never went deeper than face value. I also didn't find most of the relationships compelling, whether it be platonic or romantic, which didn't help.

While there are things I generally appreciated about the story and world-building (it was actually a fairly interesting world and magic setup), those pieces never ended up being the true focus. I felt like I was constantly hoping the main character would turn her head and focus on something else, only she never did.

Overall, this book just wasn't really for me, though I'll never be sure whether it's the fault of my wrong expectations or just of the book itself not being for me. I won't write off the author entirely because the writing itself was strong, but the rest just didn't work for me.