This started off very well, but it ultimately couldn’t hold my interest in the end. The plot’s serviceable with some steampunk qualities, and foreshadowing is carefully planned. But the two leads didn’t have enough chemistry to carry the story for me, so I felt bored throughout the latter half of their journey.

Ending spoiler:

whoo, toward the end Tai turned into a sad sack. How much sadness will you put on one character? Still, I liked his relationship with the viceroy the most. It speaks to how even if you try not to you still may love problematic people (and usually they’re your parents).