I'm not surprised I liked this, but I am surprised to be giving it 5 stars. The book has sat with me for a while now and I can't find any glaring faults with it, so why shouldn't be 5 stars? I loved the characters and the world. It was so interesting. I liked that we didn't get all the answers right away and how the author was able to tie everything together at the end.

The world really captivated me. From the moment we're in the bone pit with Marra, to learning about dust-wives and godmothers, to the goblin market, I was truly invested. The author gives us an actual adult protagonist and love interest, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Marra, although she was sheltered, never felt young to me, which I appreciated. I ended up really loving all the characters, especially Agnes. I wish we had gotten to learn more about her past

and mother

, but since she's not the main character by any means, I'll let it slide.

If I have one criticism of the book, it would be that, after Marra escaped the blistered land, the stakes never felt high again. Despite the macabre set dressing, this is more in line with a cozy fantasy than anything else. This wasn't a deal-breaker for me, but if you're looking for a lot of tension, this book won't provide it. I actually liked this aspect of it. This could be me reading this book at the right time, since I've been in the mood for this type of book.

I would love a sequel to this so I hope T. Kingfisher is cooking it up. I need to see Marra and Fenris

rescue the other indentured humans from the goblin market. I also want to see Agnes and the dust-wife living together and getting into all sorts of shenanigans

.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it if you're looking for a quick, easy fantasy read in an exceptionally fleshed out world (for how short the book is).