I really like this series compared to a lot of other YA out there right now. It's highly original, funny, snarky, romantic, dramatic and (most of all) has a kick ass heroine. It didn't have the same amount of romance and humor as Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but I think that to move forward, the story had to go in a more dark direction. I was glad to spend a bit of time in Taylor's fully realized non-human world. Hopefully the next book will gravitate toward lighter themes.