HOLY CRAP! I've read 125 books so far this year and this is definitely one of my favourites! so good! I am absolutely in love with the magic, politics and characters. The villain reveal COMPLETELY blindsided me! I adored the romance.

Okay I legit actually freaking LOVED this ending. Really good mystery and my guests were ALL wrong. The setting had some really wonderful dark elements and the story had some good use of mob mentality. I honestly thoroughly enjoyed the characters. Only draw back is that its pacing was sometimes too slow for my personal taste.

This straddles somewhere between a 3 and 3.5 stars which may seem low but it honestly wasn't terrible and I'm definitely going to pick up the sequel. I loved the message and plot. My real hold back is that I...who am blindsided by EVERY movie and book plot twist could see the ending coming since the first page! I kept screaming at the one girl being like "HOW ARE YOU SO STUPID?!"

Anyway, very curious about the sequel after that ending.

Omg Bardugo did Nina SO DAMN DIRTY! Just screwed her over nine ways to Sunday.

This is the most unsatisfying yet...most satisfying "end" to a series. I know we're eventually supposed to get a third book but...

I need Kaz and Inej to just go for each other! Like come on folks!

WOWWWWWWWWWW THAT WAS A BETRAYAL!
I do commend Bardugo for using the "bring back from the dead" in a way that made sense and didn't make me eye roll (I'm looking at you Maas).

loved the relationships and the humour was solid! Comedy in books is so hard to pull off but I laughed so many times in this book.The cast is also wonderfully diverse.

I was concerned it would be using the comics or film as a crutch but I absolutely ADORED this book. It did it's own thing and I am like x10000000 more excited for Batman now. Don't let me down Lu!

PS THE COVER IS BEAUTIFUL!

3.5/5

https://youtu.be/2cgiktvb_2o

Of all the Marie Lu books I've read, this is my favourite! It's definitely not as good as Wonder Woman: Warbringer and it has some issues I'll mention in my review video but as a fan of Batman, I really enjoyed this prequel story and the romance 😘😘😘

Not sure if it's my love of Batman or trash-for-Maas attitude but LOVED this! I didn't know I was pro Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn romance but I am. Basically spent half the book yelling "omg just get a room and bone already!" I really liked how Maas humanized the villains and sort of explained why they do what they do.

I am so so so so happy that I own this book. it's got so many wonderful side characters and has such a unique and beautiful setting. This book both broke and warmed my heart -- made me laugh and cry.

I was concerned I might be annoyed by the repetitiveness but not at all. It's heartbreaking and kind of funny and there's adventure and some sweetness. Flora, her brother and her travels were so wonderful to read about. It really touches on unnecessary medicating and long term PTSD but without being super depressing or casting someone as the villain.

I will definitely be rereading this in years to come.

I liked this book! The ending reminded me of Royal Bastards. I really enjoyed the main characters and despite all the "people pretending to be other people," I was able to pretty easily keep track of everyone. I liked the links between politics and military and the role of the matchmakers in everything. Another book where I thought "oh, i like this character...they're definitely not going to survive" and I was right...another George RR Martin

I'm really happy I picked this book up so close to Carve the Mark. I needed a sci-fi pick me up after that DNF. It was short and a good series intro. The cover is beautiful too and I really liked the characters and the science/technology. There was no distracting insta-love triangle which made me even happier