At first I found this book to be slow, and worried that I wouldn't be able to get into it, especially as the two points of views evened out, so that the point of view isn't jumping between Past and Present. But once we are well settled into the present the plot takes off. The fact this story only takes place over the course of a week or two is very evident, Sim's writing makes it evident how much pressure our protagonists are under. Which makes the story even more intriguing.

The world is well built and intriguing, It feels like all of the fun of court intrigue with none of the boring parts. But what made this world so refreshing was the representation that came seamlessly into the story.

Spoiler

The two that come to mind first and foremost is the option Cayo is given to marry one a son instead of the daughter, and the description of the curly haired non-binary dealer that Amaya run's into in the Vice District.

This world skews away from the heteronormative fantasy world's I quite often come across in fantasy fiction. Towards the new and interesting worlds I hope to find in the future.