This is a fitting conclusion to this duology. There was a strong focus on the Stories finding a sense of belonging on Earth after leaving the Hinterland. Alice truly wants to find a place to belong and she attempts to attend school and hang around people her age. However, her prospects of having a normal life become slim as ex-Stories are murdered and she becomes a name on the hit list. Overall, there was a sense of mystery and darkness throughout the story. The pacing was a bit slower than I would have wished and I don't feel that we spent as much time with Finn and Alice together as I would have wanted. I think their relationship could have used more development, but the story was still engaging and interesting. We got perspectives from both Alice and Finn which helped build up tension in the plot. 

My favorite part was the development we got for the relationship between Ella and Alice. You could feel the love in this parent-child relationship. Ella makes it clear with her actions that she has chosen Alice to be a part of her life and loves her. Usually, parent-child relationships are not the focus of most stories and Melissa Albert did a great job of depicting a great one.

If you're in the mood for a dark fairy tale with mystery and intrigue, this is exactly what you'll get in this sequel. However, don't expect much romance, as I think that is something this book lacks, although I personally didn't miss it.