This was a disappointment for me, even though I enjoyed it enough for three stars.

I LOVE Adam Silvera's work and was so excited for this... Fantasy, phoenixes, queer, NYC? This was the mixture of a perfect read for me. This should have been better. I wanted it to be better. I tried to pretend I was going to rate it higher... For Silvera's first fantasy novel, it could have been so much better but is a good first try.

For me, it was strong right out the gate. I felt like I was dropped right into the world and was figuring it out. My issues came about half way through the book. The plot falls flat, and the pacing seems off. It feels like a scramble of learning about new characters that we are suppose to connect to, but don't have enough time with. The pacing and world building could have been stronger, and I would have liked to see what could have been done with more time with the supporting cast and a longer novel.