First of all, the cover is beautiful. It feels like 1920s glitz and glamour. The prologue was utterly captivating, there is a young man going to a prohibited house of magic. He is striking a deal and paying with some stolen gems and a secret to choose a temporary form of magic to be bestowed upon him. The magic is bestowed upon him by one of the house magicians with a kiss. Younger, teenage me would have eaten this right up. Older, 37 year old me finds the way the magic is transferred slightly eye rolling. In chapter one we move into the story further and meet Matilde and Æsa. Æsa? I didn't know they were writing stories about Elon Musk's baby already. I just don't know how to pronounce Æsa, and it would bother me reading this name throughout the whole story.