I felt a bit lost for a good part of this as I’d lost the plot of the larger tale and several of the characters and details were a mere foggy presence in my shite memory. But the grey cells connected and I woke up to the story with a bunch of ‘oh rights’ and ‘ahas’ halfway through. Then all the pieces started falling in place… I recommend refreshing yourself with the first two books if it’s been a while since you put them down. 

 

This had all the other-world feels, with glimpses of the naive and smirking personalities from the first two novels, but it felt repetitive at bits in the middle third. The adventure was full of footnotes, always academic, and thrumming with charm. There's not a moment spared for respite as the discoveries sprout and impossible challenges arise, and Emily is faced with an ultimatum that will require a costly sacrifice. 

 

It’s a world I love to live in, a writing style unlike any of its contemporaries, and I plan on one day reading these again… with such alluring covers, they are a beautiful fairy tale addition to my library.