Okay I'm just gonna make a shortcut on my keyboard to say this: "I've read this book before and you likely have to." BUT--and it's a big BUT--it's not a cast of all white people in a fantasy world which is basically England! I have zero issue with offering these tried and true YA stories coming out but with representation. We need that. Another person deserves the chance to read a book where they can point and be like "oh my God! That's me!" I got that my whole life and it's about freaking time people who aren't cis straight and white in North America are getting this.

Now the writing was easily the most impressive part to me. For a debut work, I am really impressed. I was concerned at the size of the book but it just flew by. All the story was used to develop the world and characters and relationships. There wasn't 200 pages where I was pulling out my hair for something to happen. This book also includes two of my favourite things in books: family lineage reveals & animals as more than pets.