Despite some photography inaccuracies which took me out of the story for a bit (totally a me thing)... this was super fun to read! I found the world building interesting and the mysterious plot kept me reading along! I've heard this was inspired by Bioshock? which makes sense. Audiobook is good too!

Downside is it's the first in a series and the next book isn't out yet :'( but I shall be continuing once that's out!

I'm not sure if I found the immediate/sudden chemistry between the two MCs to be super believable. It was a little too much "wow this person is suddenly hot to me for no apparent reason" for me. But +.25 for good spice! FMC is ADHD rep.

Idk I liked this, but I got a little disinterested in the third act. Loved the queer rep! but also Ari was so messy askldnasdlk. I've seen When Harry Met Sally but it's not like a fav movie so I appreciated it as the backbone to the story. Wish there would've been dual narration!

Unfortunately I just don't think this author's writing is for me. Like her other books, I really struggled with her world building not being fleshed out enough. You're just kinda thrown in the deep end of this world, without enough explanation - everything is just a bit too surface level. And not being able to really understand the world (in this case beyond it being some comparison to post WWII Germany?) really fought against my engagement with the story. Which is a shame because I think conceptually there were some interesting things going on with the storyline: research team, mystery, romance etc but I really need to understand the world to be motivated to continue a book.


I read an arc of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts are my own

I feel like you have to be someone who grew up reading the Bible for this story to make sense. Cause I was not, and I was lost. I tried to just kinda focus on the central relationship, but it still didn't work for me. 

this was a reread on audio and unfortunately I didn't love the narrator, which downgraded my overall experience because I really love this series!

I really enjoyed this duology! I just found the world to be absolutely fascinating to read about.

There is a LOT of action - it truly felt like there was no room for breaths from like 60% in til the end. Very high stakes coupled with twists and betrayals, kept me reading!

There is a big focus thematically on family dynamics - Wren has dealt with some Shitty Family™ and I think there's a lot of emphasis on how she overcomes her family trauma. Basically most of the adults really are just out here being the worst to everyone around them and the world in general, and I found Wren's journey getting past that really traumatic in the midst, but in the end honest and healing. In the end it becomes: your family is the one that you choose, which is always nice to read.

I love getting all the different POVs, I think they all add something to the story providing a very well rounded overall viewpoint [one audio complaint is it's just one narrator and while they do a great job of voices, sometimes it was slightly confusing to know who's pov we were in since they switch mid-chapter]

I just really recommend this duology if you like ghosts, a bit of creepy vibes and a fantastic cast of characters!

This is maybe a great book if you are new to veganism or vegan activism, but as someone highly involved in vegan activism I found it to be dull and a bit tone-deaf. The research is presented sloppily and without great citations. It felt like a lot of the book was just the author interviewing a bunch of his friends without any kind of critical lens, just giving them praise.

This is definitely a regency-era romance with some fantasy elements sprinkled in, but it leans more hist. romance to me. Suspend a little disbelief on the connection of this world and faeries - you just gotta go with it. There's also a slight mystery plotline happening at the same time. Something about the overall plot didn't quite click with my to really hold my interest.

Dora reads as neurodivergent to me, and I did like the ending when it came to her curse - how she didn't really need to change at all.
Elias was a perfectly fine love interest, I was endeared to him by the end.
I really fell in love with Albert as a side character and I'm not sure if we'll see more of him. Though my copy had a little prequel short-story about him and Elias in the war time.

Well… that was a book I read.

Except the last chapter was a banger!