I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book, and the First Look did not let me down! Immediately the story has action, intrigue, and sex appeal. Arthie is a self-made FMC who clearly has a secret history and Jin is her brother in arms. We got two chapters, one from each POV, and I love them both so much. This world clearly has societal splits between class and race that can already be read as an allegory of any modern day other vs the homogenous, and I think that’s important to represent in literature because the world is by definition heterogeneous and opening our eyes to that diversity paves the way for peace. On the surface level, though, the plot follows this strong female protagonist and her loyal crew through a world of vampire politics and conspiracy, and the First Look gives us a tiny tip of the iceberg, and I cannot wait to see what happens! Also, I’m wildly interested in sneaking a peek at Matteo’s’ abs again–maybe Arthie will too?
Final thoughts: I was so lucky to win the raffle for this book and get to read it before release, thank you Bookish First! This book was an anticolonial fantasy with a heist, betrayal, found family, and bloo…tea! The sword-in-the-stone homage was a fun and unexpected theme. The romantic build-ups were some of the finest I’ve read. The betrayals and twists were shocking. The vampires, as usual, were the epitome of otherness and how the other is feared, misunderstood, and often exploited. Arthie was one of the most badass FMC’s I’ve met, and I loved her for not fitting herself into a mold. In the end this book is five stars and I am thirsting for the next with a vampire’s hunger!
Final thoughts: I was so lucky to win the raffle for this book and get to read it before release, thank you Bookish First! This book was an anticolonial fantasy with a heist, betrayal, found family, and bloo…tea! The sword-in-the-stone homage was a fun and unexpected theme. The romantic build-ups were some of the finest I’ve read. The betrayals and twists were shocking. The vampires, as usual, were the epitome of otherness and how the other is feared, misunderstood, and often exploited. Arthie was one of the most badass FMC’s I’ve met, and I loved her for not fitting herself into a mold. In the end this book is five stars and I am thirsting for the next with a vampire’s hunger!