this is going to be a divisive one but i had such a good time

quick thoughts:

• I just loved Cayo & Amaya with my entire body and soul
• Stabby revenge stories? Please and thank you
• Characters struggling to be Good & True when the world keeps throwing them curveballs and forcing them to make difficult choices are my favourite
• No you're crying
• Yes, the scs were a tad underdeveloped but hopefully, we'll get to explore them in the sequel??
• The world-building was also a little meh but *fingers crossed* it's more of a focus in the sequel too
• You know how sometimes you just read the right book at the right time? I needed this book


➸ Trigger warnings for

classism, indentured servitude (of children) discussed in-depth, sexual assault (op), child abuse, forced arranged marriage, gambling addiction recovery & relapse (central theme), suicide mentioned, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse recounted & discussed, drugging w/o consent, blood & gore depiction, dead bodies & body parts, needles, physical injuries, eyeball trauma & gouging, emesis, terminal illness (plague-like) recounted & op, depiction of starvation, cannibalism mentioned, grief depiction, death of a mother & father recounted, death of children (op), murder, attempted murder, knife violence & stabbing, torture recounted, whipping recounted, hanging mentioned, kidnapping, captivity, blackmail, death by a fall recounted, near-drowning incident, war themes discussed, and poverty themes & debt collection (central theme)

.

▷ Representation: Amaya (mc) is Desi & demisexual; Cayo (mc) is bisexual & East Asian; Roach (sc) is asexual; Avi (sc) is a trans boy; POC and queer scs.

◯ Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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