* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

4.5 stars. So creative and wonderful. Colorful and beautiful with so much room for more. This is a really good book. I enjoyed it a lot. It somehow felt to me like a combination of the magic in reading that came from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins. It is weird, it is fantastical, and it is just what I've been looking for in terms of a concept.

I would have loved to give it 5 stars in all honesty, but there were two things that prevented that:

1...Hype. Dang it! I hate it when that happens. I was all worked up for something incredibly magical, blow me off my feet. And it WAS good. It was magical, but it didn't blow me away. I expected too much. I oversold it to myself and wrecked the beauty that is all wrapped up in this book. This means that I may have to put it on my bookshelf and bring it back out in a couple of years for a reread once the hype goes away. In all honesty, there's a good chance I could love it even more on the second go round.

2...Pacing. I STRUGGLED with pieces of this book. It wasn't one where I couldn't put it down. At least not until the last 1/2. The beginning moved slowly for me and I just wanted to get to the action. Again, this was probably a factor of the hype. I knew what this book was supposed to be about and I just wanted it ALL. RIGHT. NOW. Ya...that didn't happen. But I pushed on because I wanted to love it. And the second half moved great. It wrapped me up in the narrative and propelled me forward, itching for each new page.

I blame myself for the lack of 5 stars, really. But let's be honest... 4.5 is still pretty dang good. So I say read this one. But do yourself a favor if you can and wait out the hype. It'll be worth the wait.