This was a surprising favorite. The magic system is very strange at first--definitely takes some getting used to, but it was so interesting and something I hadn't quite encountered before so I was fairly invested from the start. And let's face it, a talking key is the weirdest thing to begin with and somehow it just doesn't seem that strange once you're in the world.

Every character had a rich feel to them and that's including a key. I was even knocked over by surprise queerness! I hadn't expected it, yet it was a lovely addition to an already interesting story. I like the rag-tag gang that has banned together at the end of this novel and am excited to see where they head to next.