Okay, first of all, this book is amazing.

The world-building alone is fantastical and I appreciate the pains Schwab took to make sure I could keep the Londons straight. And the diversity, not only in philosophy, but also in peoples. Goddamn. It seems so effortless. My jaw smacked the floor over the gender fluidity of the characters. Lila prefers men's clothing and experiences little to no qualms about it. There's a bi PoC character who explicitly recognizes himself as such, is accepted by his parents, AND doesn't die. Plus, amazingly for a shipper heart like mine, I don't ship him with Kell. Schwab strikes just the right balance of affection between the two, where their relationship is actually and for real brotherly. Unlike in that one TV show, you know the one *cough* *cough* Supernatural *cough* *hack* *cough*

Lila and Kell's relationship is a perfect symphony too. There is some romantic tension, but just because she had a clone of Kell striptease doesn't mean Lila's giving up her dreams to be a pirate queen. Lila's got that streak of independence that's hard not to love in literature, and I already want to read the next book.

Overall, great story, great protagonists, a great quantity of blood, and a great read.