m/m fantasy shouldn't be this hard to like. i really wanted to love this one, but the author did everything she could to make each compelling element in her story (basically all of it) tiresome to read, and not just bc of the confunsing world-building. the crumbs of information weren't a surprise, and it's actually a good thing that Hale doesn't show us all of her cards right away, but even the characters and their relationships felt flat and forced, which is so frustrating bc this series has everything i like. so maybe i'll read the next book just to be sure i wouldn't like the other eight as well.