I was intruiged the minute I saw the cover. A delightful blend of dark, creepy, and pretty. Which aligns quite nicely with the story. The world building is clean and crisp, dragging you into the story from the very first line. You can feel the grittiness of the characters, who are pirates, and by nature gritty, and the world the inhabit. Not a pristine beautiful world, but a world where you fight to survive and scrape by however you can.
But on top of their grittiness the characters have a real humanity to them. They are just evil pirates. They're desperate, doing what they've learned will keep them safe. But Csilla has a clear connection to her sister. Even though they aren't necessarily loving and gentle you can tell they are loyal and would do anything for each other. Kane's memories of his father aren't exactly sweet, and there is an implied brutality to their relationship, but its obvious that Kane doesn't hate his father and values the things he learned from them.
I can't wait to read more about these characters and see what happens when they clash.
But on top of their grittiness the characters have a real humanity to them. They are just evil pirates. They're desperate, doing what they've learned will keep them safe. But Csilla has a clear connection to her sister. Even though they aren't necessarily loving and gentle you can tell they are loyal and would do anything for each other. Kane's memories of his father aren't exactly sweet, and there is an implied brutality to their relationship, but its obvious that Kane doesn't hate his father and values the things he learned from them.
I can't wait to read more about these characters and see what happens when they clash.