This book basically did a 180 from the previous book in terms of things I liked (minimal romance, straghtforwardness all gone) and things I didn’t (flat characters, awkward writing, aggressive heteronormativity).

First things first, Ceony in this book is just really annoying. She’s arrogant and entitled —

Spoiler

running away to confront Grath because the adults clearly can’t handle it, if they haven’t managed it yet; then deflating and praying for rescue when things go wrong

, and the ending only exacerbates the situation ... yet she’s also a “perfect” exhibit of femininity, with her culinary talent and makeup and barrettes and full-length skirts. (Of course Lira’s prettier than Ceony, and more mature in a womanly way, but she’s evil and she probably can’t even cook.) Ceony is also very judgmental, even regarding strangers like Langston’s sister, whose clothes she borrows briefly, and Langston, whom she concludes should get married to the nearest available female (Delilah, who he doesn’t even know) since he can’t cook. She also spends more than half her time “mooning” over Emery from the first page. (Minor points for acknowledging that simply being a foreigner shouldn’t make someone a sketchy character, and for token PoC representation, I guess? Greatly undermined by all the other issues going on.)

I’m just having a hard time buying the events of the previous page as justification for the literal insta-love between Ceony and Emery; at least he has some moral hesitations, though apparently Ceony’s only concern (beyond her angst over her feelings being possibly unrequited) is that it’s against some rules, and unwritten ones at that.

The ending isn’t super compelling, and apparently we’re giving Ceony credit for

Spoiler

Grath’s discovery of how to reverse the Bonding process and re-bond to a new Material; she might have set everything in motion, but he’s the one who actually figured it out

.

I don’t think I’ll be finishing the trilogy; I’ve already spent two days being disappointed.