I listened to the podcast/radio drama of this and it was spectacular. Sucked me straight in and the last two episodes were super riveting. I stopped doing what i was doing to just listen to it all for the last episode too. The cast is awesome, and I loved the use of sound effects.

As a woman, the basics of this book didn't surprise me. But the details i found shocking, enlightening, and sometimes had me googling charities that might be trying to tackle things. It covers a whole range of data gaps, product design to disaster relief to social issues to doctor visits, some of which certainly surprised me. I'm also a sucker for data, so i liked seeing the numbers despite how engaging they might be.

I can already tell I'll want to reread it in about a year. There's a lot to unpack here, and I think as I learn more I'll come at it from a different angle each time. I found the mythos fasinating, and the discussions about how individuals and societies relate to history something that often made me slow down my reading so I could absorb it more.

Also adding to my ace shelf because two of the characters, once they started talking about relationships, felt really demi to me. And, honestly, I don't think there's a single straight romantic relationship in this story and that's amazing.

Honestly, the best part about this book was the ace rep. It's on point for a lot of experiences and emotions several aces I know have had (myself included) and it was also nice to see a very sex positive girl be accepted.

I questioned character actions a few times, but as a whole I enjoyed this and I do think it'll be an excellent resource for people who are questioning or just want to learn. Stories are powerful, and this is a great ace one.

It took me awhile to fall into this, but once I did I near devoured it, finishing the last 100ish pages in the car. The setting/premise I always found fascinating, but it wasn't until Greta started actually opening her eyes to what was going on that I cared about the characters to flip pages quickly.

I didn't expect Greta to be bi, but totally love that. And the ending was not what I had expected from this book, which is gonna make this stick in my head for awhile.

Dnf

Stuck this in the car for a roadtrip and just couldn't. Got 2 cds in and called it quits.

I'm surprised at how fast I read this, for which I have to say pure escapism. I would love to go to a school like this, be part of such a solid friend group. I also just really loved being back in Tortall.

I might have also been a bit desperate for a plot, but in reality this is just scene after scene of a growning students life. There's small events that you can piece together as a reader, but it reveals a long con/plan and Arram stumbles into them, thinks about them, but doesn't pursue answers or potential criminals. He's pretty much focused on his studies. Even his relationships with girls/dating/flirting are c plots.

That said, still enjoyed this and am now primed for a spectacular sequel. It helps that i know where these characters end up. I desperately want to know how they got there.

Dnf 48% i wanted to like this, cuz so many people i know do, but it's not for me.