To try is to be brave. Be brave" (pg 18).

Camille and that dress gave me Kill la Kill vibes. What I enjoyed immensely about this book was the relationship between magic and sorrow/blood. That is what kept me pushing through pages of card gambling, balloon shenanigans, and bland characters. La magie takes a toll on its users, and it's interesting to read its horrifying consequences.

At no point did I care about Camille and Lazare. I just did not, sorry. Y'all were a bit too insta-lovey for my taste. If I had to choose a favorite character, then it's Chandon.

Lowkey/highkey Foudriard was just a dangling carrot for Chandon. He's just his husband and nothing more. I'm definitely not saying the story should've wasted time developing him ... but I honestly know nothing about this dude except he's a soldier and Chandon would do anything for him. Like boy, you're just a filler character. Did he even have more than 4 lines haha? :p

Still, I had fun reading this, so 2.5 stars