Oh man, what a disappointment. I've owned this since I was like 13 but decided it was time for a re-read. Mistake, and this and its sequel are going in the donation pile. Raven is the most self-centered and ill-tempered main character. I hated how she blamed everyone else for her problems, and she did not deserve a happy ending.

A fabulous coming of age story with a generic historical setting (I have a weakness for these) a believable family dynamic, a dark curse, and a lesbian romance.

Me every five seconds while reading this book:

Spoiler

This was so brilliant I don't even know what to say because I don't want to risk unraveling the plot for anyone. This was wild and inventive and kept me on tenterhooks the whole time I was reading it. I was amazed at Turton's skill; he wrote each host so differently that you feel as if you are embodying them along with Aiden. I loved that you never knew quite who to trust, including Aiden himself. I loved that it was all a prison built in an autocratic future (to use the author's own words) because it wasn't magic, just brilliant technology and human nature. It wasn't just the mystery, it was a study of humanity.

It's hard to say things like imaginative and brilliant, because I just expect that from Howey at this point, but he truly is both. A beautiful, sad, wry story of a lighthouse keeper in space in the middle of a war between humans and an alien species with some serious Mass Effect style feels.

This was sooooo bad. Even for nostalgia's sake I can't read any more of these.

I liked all of the characters. The world building wasn't detailed, but it was effective in making me feel like I was in the world. I just felt like there was no main plot, so I was just reading to see what happened next rather than getting invested in any of the storylines. Also, fuck any book that ends after 560 pages with a goddamn cliffhanger.

Oh my god this was so bad. Unbelievably bad. Everything from how shitty the main character is (she gets mad at her friend for getting drunk for the first time ever because she doesn't want to spend a morning taking care of her, some friend) to how bad the writing is killed me (she goes to a beach party on Lake Michigan at 8pm at night and says it's dark. It is not dark in the midwest at 8pm in June. Learn some basic facts.).

A steampunk tale with an opium-eating airship racer female lead who gets embroiled in an ancient Greek mystery while banging both Lord Byron and a handsome tinker?

Sign me up!

Unfortunately, this story turned out to be composed of awkwardly placed flashbacks with the imminent threat of rape in EVERY SINGLE ONE, moments that were supposed to be sexy but were instead awkward and cringe-y, and an unbearably unlikable heroine.

Also, what was that lame-ass ending?

I love that this whole novel is written as a self-help guide in the second person. It's brilliant and poignant and easy to read.

BRUTAL and fast-paced and still a character study of our two ANTI-heroes?

Prohibition era gangsters but MAGIC instead of LIQUOR is illegal?

Brilliant displays of magic and GUILT up to your EYEBROWS?

Yes, yes, yes.