Utterly unsurprisingly, this is a stunning YA fantasy debut with super rich world-building that's still easy to follow and never disorienting or confusing. It also features some truly excellent character building, and I loved both of the main characters very much. The overall premise of course drew me to this book, and the idea of a magical zoo and fearsome creatures was an amazing hook for the beginning. But the book is so, so much more than even the premise suggested, and I found myself on the edge of my seat for the majority of the novel, so much so that it did not take me long at all to get through the entirety of its pages. I adore the premise of a strong and/or magical femme character who has to engage with their anger and strength to resist authoritarian or otherwise oppressive forces, and this book more than delivered. By the end, I certainly wanted to read the sequel asap!