Clans vying for power, a murder mystery, a group set up to fail, and a sapphic romance! This sci-fi novella truly had it all and I got chills reading the end. All of these characters had such depth to them and the worldbuilding is strong, especially for a book of this size. This served as a reminder that Aliette De Bodard is an auto-buy author, for me. It's early in 2025, but this already feels like a contender for a favorite book read this year.