I’m a sucker for books with trials and this didn’t disappoint 

 picked this one up immediately after finishing Symphony of Secrets! 

I didn’t enjoy it quite as much but it was still very good, Slocumb’s ability to weave racism into a book about a violin theft and classical music is just expertly done. 

I really wanted to scream at Ray’s mom to treat him better, he deserved so much more than what she gave him. 

Spoiled: I LOVED the small Josephine Reed mention at the very end, beautiful tie to his second book!

Hannah does an amazing job with the nuances of the Vietnam War in this book. 

I wanted to like this given everyone’s love for it but nothing about it clicked for me. The first time I felt anything for the main characters was in the afterward and I don’t think that’s where I should be feeling that. 

I am usually a reader that struggles with visuals. This book was the first time I didn’t feel that way, possibly because of the Star Wars vibes. I found it extremely easy to see what was happening because of that. 

The most interesting plot point that I wish there had been more of a focus on was Merzi and Garlial, I love a redemption arc so here’s hoping that’s where it leads. 

There were some fight scenes I felt could’ve been shorter, and a few editing errors throughout the book (nothing major, but enough to pull me out a bit). 

But overall I had a good time! 

FINALLY an actual enemies to lovers

As someone who works in archives, I absolutely loved this book. So many stories are buried because we don’t know to look for them. This was a beautiful fiction that could all too easily be true in the world we live in. Museums, archives, libraries are not neutral spaces. They do a ton of good, but they also perpetuate systems of power that existed far beyond our time of trying to be more equitable. Slocumb has beautiful afterward I encourage you to read as well.