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@BEZORP It’s challenge and not without fault, but I like her writing enough to push through.

I was impatient with this for a number of reasons: books that require a Dramatis Personae feel needlessly complex (which is why I steer clear of high fantasy), the long interval between reading the prior book in this series, Bashat/Bashasa as Prince-heirs in different times—all of this confused me. But! Even though I felt lost much of the time, it delivers.

I’m a fan of Schwab—she always delivers. Not sure why, but I was surprised this turned out to be a vampire novel. Lesbian vampires! Schwab makes some interesting tweaks to the lore, like how walking on graveyard soil is deadly to them. And explores how immortality affects them differently; the way some are less/more successful at hanging on to their humanity. A sad, hollow ending though. On the longer side, but unlike many of the other books I’ve read this year that should’ve been shorter, this (mostly) knew how to tell a good story.

This book just kept going in the most unexpected and delightful directions: witches, trans, and lesbian characters, yes! 18th Century literature, research, and right-wing trolls appearing but not being given air or space, YES. Polyamorous queers, messy relationships, and a human perspective that I wish more people strived for, 🥹 I love how Anders’s mind and heart works.