This book was incredibly disappointing. There is no depth to its world-building, very little intrigue in its plot, and a muddy message. It had so many opportunities to elevate, but in the end it just kind of...is. Bland, and even insulting.

First of all, this book is not a dark fairytale, like one might assume from the jacket. A monster shows up within the first 5 pages, but the following 300 are basically a courtroom "drama". The protagonists have to repeat their observation first to a local court, then to a higher royal court... It's just... tedious. Some people try to threaten the witnesses at one point, but mostly the protagonists just kill time between court dates by eating and window-shopping. Boring.

Secondly, with a title like BETWEEN the Water and the Woods, you would think this book would have more to say about being the meeting place of two disparate things. A study in duality. And it tries, sometimes - like the royal knight of humble origins - but it doesn't try hard enough. Reese ought to have been trans - or a magical allegory for being trans, like a shapeshifter - it would have done a lot for the theme. Emeline never struggles much with being biracial (and therefore half-magical); she embraces her new powers immediately, and everyone she shares her secret with is enamored with her. The book has several lines about how science and magic should co-exist, and are both necessary for society, but the book comes down HARD on science being flawed and dangerous, and faith/magic having more wisdom and goodness to it. I did NOT get the sense that the author was showing us how two sides of the fictional government (science and magic) were equal and should unify. If anything, it felt like the author was thinly critiquing the American legislative branch (Democrats and Republicans), and was vilifying Democrats. The humble farmers having more sense than the blue-suited, snooty, scientific, city socialites seemed to underscore my interpretation. For a story which claims to be "between" equal parts, it certainly came down hard on there being only one right way to be.

Thirdly, from just a storytelling standpoint, this book was messy. As I stated above, the ratio of Magical Shenanigans to Everyday Activities was grossly uneven. And the remaining tissue holding this book together were flimsy tropes. Dead mom with magical secrets. Highway robbery. Mad scientist. Romantic leads who dislike each other at first but grow to rely on one another. On that note, Reese is a terrible snob. And sure, there is the trope of "enemies to lovers" or "opposites attract" or "two people who just meet rub each other the wrong way, but learn they have things in common under the surface, and soften towards each other, lowering their snide defenses and allowing love to take root"... BUUUUUT Reese does very little in the way of EARNING Emeline's change of heart. Boohoo, he gets bullied for being poor. But dogs like him, so... it's okay for him to /also/ make fun of Emeline for being poor? Yup, marriage material right there. Gag.

There is nothing here. No character development, no deeper plot, no universal message... Everything is surface level, obvious and mundane. It's fine if you don't care about reading too deeply. Sadly, I do. :/