The female protagonist was extremely well written. Her history with abuse, how it makes her feel both defeated and starved for the attention, her growth into a more mature, trusting young woman, all great. The unique metal-burning magic system, great. But the plot was too simple, and the other characters too one note. Lots of pieces are repeated over and over... This book did not have to be 600 pages long, and should not be considered regular fantasy. It's YA fantasy at best, and there are better YA's out there. Sorry fans :/. I get the appeal, but it didn't resonate with me.

Love this series <3 <3 <3 The first book is rather Alice in Wonderland-like, the series' epic scope and overarching themes take awhile to present themselves. Book 1 is almost a prologue for so many more wonderful things to come. Book 1 is wonderful as an introduction to the strange, beautiful, and deadly world. But don't judge the series too quickly by the meandering path Book 1 takes; there is much more drama, intrigue and character development to come.

The worst piece of drivel I have ever had the misfortune to get tricked into reading. I don't understand, it came so highly recommended. But this book was just awful, in every way a book can be awful. Do not read.

Absolutely beautiful and haunting <3 <3 <3. This author is the real deal, her writing is succinct and gorgeous, her characters are relatable and loveable, the world she's built is epic and I want so, so, so many more stories. Amazing.

This book is creative with its fantasy and social commentary. But it is also ruthless, cynical and joyless. It was like The Grapes of Wrath and The Magicians had a baby. Yes, you amass a cast of characters and a plot unfolds (300 pages in :/), but who cares, if the characters are unlikable, the setup is tedious, and the plot is depressing.

One of the most enchanting, moving, beautiful things I've ever read.

I picked up this book thinking if it took itself too seriously, I would still have fun laughing at it. But I was blown away, it was thrilling and creative, well-written... I was singing it's praises for 500 pages: courtly intrigue, feisty heroine, sassy hero, fae, gods, dinosaurs! Could not wait to get my hands on the sequel... And then 40 pages from the end the story fumbled so much, I had to knock it down a star :/. Trigger warnings, character assassinations, swiftly followed by poop jokes...? What?! It felt like the author wrote the /last/ 40 pages earlier, when he was less sure of what he wanted to do. And the plot choices seemed to only be there because... *shrug*... that's what you do in the fantasy genre? I had come to expect better given how much fun I'd been having. I'm disappointed the story went awry. Maybe the sequel can save it.

Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell are a spell-binding combination, their ability to spin a world out of ink is just breathtaking. But I have to admit that I was disappointed that the story was so short and sparse. I respect how much work went into even this short piece, a lot of art, a lot of hours... But the story ends almost as soon as it starts. The nameless protagonist walks off into the unknown, the nameless antagonist disintegrates... I wanted more. It felt like a bedtime story. Or like a prologue to a much, much, MUCH longer novel. I want to live in the world of colliding fairytales /more/.
Also, I admit, in buying this book I flipped through the pages to see if it was for me, and saw the kiss. I thought this story was LGBTQ. But turns out the kiss was more... a matter of how magic behaves and what magic needs, than a retelling of a known fairytale with a queer element. Disappointed, again, I wanted more, I wanted lesbian princesses.
Beautiful. But left me wanting more.

I loved this book, but I get why it's just kind of "homework" for other readers. The characters are kind of rotational, the plot gets repetitive... But it's the book that started it all, the book which sexualized the vampire myth, and opened the gates for Vampire Romance as we know it - which is so prevalent a sub-genre in its own right that it got a nod in a Pixar movie! Dracula will always hold a place in my heart. But classics aren't for everyone; they can feel like a slog compared to similar, more modern, works.