For a long while, after a strong start, this was sitting at a 3/3.5 but with the final third everything clicked into place and I started to properly care about the characters as the dynamics between them started to feel more natural.

I love a found family trope and I think this has been well set up for the next books.

Notes from as i read - does feel quite YA/New Adult which is fine for me but some fantasy readers may come into it not expecting that kind of narrative voice. The world building takes a little while to click but again, when it does it works well.

Comparisons to Gideon the Ninth are a little misplaced. I'd say the closest it comes to that is the characterisation of Kissan - sharp, fiesty, with plenty of banter but a good heart and darker back story that feeds well into the main narrative.