So originally I gave this book just 3.5 stars, but upon rereading (just two months later, and in preparation to start the sequel) I found myself totally blown away by the balanced worldbuilding and complex characters. There are enough details that you know Milan put a lot of work into creating the rules of this universe (also some humor, such as heavy metal being their idea of "classical" music and references to the archaic notetaking form known as pencil and paper); at the same time, no extended infodumps or tangents interrupt the flow of the story.

And the characters definitely grow on you if you aren't immediately won over: despite being slightly put off by some of their earlier ... antisocial attitudes, shall we say, I found myself highly invested in their personal development over the course of the story. I think upon first reading I found Ia's arrogance particularly irritating, but this time around I noticed the shifts in her perception of others, as well as precious moments of vulnerability, and she just seemed more believably (teenage) human and thus more likable to me.

Fair warning: the POV tradeoffs between Ia, Brinn, and Knives probably won't work for every reader, especially since the chapters seem to be relatively short. Personally I liked getting to see multiple angles of the circumstances, different character backgrounds and motives, and how it helped balance action with contemplation (i.e., external with internal conflict). Also, since Knives is a 19-year-old flight master / Commonwealth officer, his POV incorporates some more mature themes and considerations so I've also shelved this book as NA.

Even knowing what was coming next — which was not actually much of a change from the first read, since there's plenty of buildup to each twist and/or reveal — didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. Each development is satisfying when it arrives, and is allowed to land before the action moves on; the emotional impact is not at all diminished by a lack of surprise / shock factor. It is a bit tropey in certain scenes, but again, it really wasn't a dealbreaker for me.

The ending is pretty solid as well, bringing closure to some arcs while leaving others open for the sequel — which I was definitely eager to get right into.

content warnings: 

blood, violence, genocide, torture (induced heart trauma / arrhythmia), interspecies discrimination & prejudice (anti-refugee rhetoric)