kyle

Easily one of the best books I've ever read. Beyond the stunning prose, which captures both the mythical retelling and the deeply personal story, the perspective on the myth of Achilles and his relationship with Patroclus is in equal parts deeply beautiful and joyous and devastatingly tragic.

I don't say this often but I can't wait to read this one again.

A sweet, interesting, well-told and unique sci-fi romance! I'll admit it took me a minute to wrap my head around the storytelling but I got there and it was well worth it.

What a fun read! Although this started off a little slow, the author's beautiful and sometimes brutal blend of prose created a lush and immersive world and crescendoed to a wholly satisfying ending that left me excited to continue the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this take on a dystopian, fantasy world. The characters were richly developed with unique perspectives and interesting backstories. I found the world building to be fascinating and deeply engrossing, and the blend of typical dystopian fantasy tropes with a perspective that was unique to the author was really refreshing. The main plot contained a fair amount of mystery and the pacing was superb as it drew me in and kept me interested without giving away too much of the end game until the satisfying conclusion. The slow burn pace may not appeal to everyone but it was a nice change of pace from how breakneck others in this genre can feel. Additionally, the ending felt quick, and I was surprised upon reaching the conclusion as I was hungry for more. I am eagerly looking forward to the second installment as there are some big threads left unresolved.

4.5 stars - I really appreciated the thoughtful blend of magic, action and romance! Although the story took a little while to get going, once things were rolling there was a lot to really enjoy! Looking forward to starting the sequel and continuing my adventure with Simon and Baz!