I wasn’t entirely sure if I would like this one because the synopsis made it seem reminiscent of romantasy books I’d read a bunch of times before (fae love interest, strong FMC that is definitely not like other girls, etc.), but there were also still aspects that intrigued me. In the end, I was completely surprised by how the story ended up unraveling, and enjoyed this as a whole!

While this book did seem to start in a way that reminded me of other stories, it quickly began to undermine and subvert some of the common tropes seen in romantasy. I enjoyed how the relationships were used as a form of growth for Fia, and we see that as she grows and changes throughout the story, so does what she’s looking for in a partner. It also introduced some interesting discussions about change and the inherent good or bad of certain types of changes, and how that can depend on the person. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was the folklore and magic woven into the story. This is a key part of what set this book apart for me and made it feel new and fresh. I’ve read a decent amount of romantasy, and enjoy it as a genre while still understanding and agreeing with some of the criticism of it. One main criticism is often this lack of depth in the plot or world-building and of books failing to find the proper balance of romance and fantasy. I think this book is a clear example of my preferred balance, and a large part of that comes from the depth of the world-building. This depth is in large part due to the folklore of the story and how fae in particular was used in a more meaningful way, playing more with the historical myths and assumptions about the fae rather than just using the watered-down modern version. 

One small criticism I do have of the book is that the ending felt a bit chaotic and messy, and I do wish we were given a bit more time at the end to fully understand and sit with the ramifications of what happened. I do think this will be properly addressed and explained in the sequel, but it did feel like this installment was left off at an awkward place. 

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see where the next one goes!