I definitely have not read the source material behind this book, but I enjoy the idea of retellings and definitely appreciated both the map and character art at the beginning of this book.
I went in a bit blind - I was not sure entirely what would happen but was definitely surprised along the way. I like Zephyr as a character, she was snarky but also incredibly intelligent, always playing 3D chess when everyone around her doubted her at every turn. Even when she was enacting a plan, the author really makes us watch and see what is happening rather than describing the whole plan up front then enacting it.
I liked Crow as a character too, and was really interested to figure out more of his secrets and motives.....but he fell kind of flat. There was some chemistry with Zephyr, but ultimately I wanted more from him.
Then the middle of the book happened and we traversed into....godhood? Definitely not something I had expected to see in this book! I am not entirely sure I understand who Zephyr was before and how she ended up where she did, but I am intrigued to see where she goes from the end of this book. I will say though, that [spoiler] I definitely feel weird about her inhabiting the body of someone she knows for the second half of the book. It feels incredibly messed up, not only for that girl, but for the people around her, and I have conflicting feelings about it. [end spoiler] Suffice to say, I liked Zephyr better in the first half of the book.
This does leave on a cliffhanger after revealing some twists, so I am interested to read book two!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I was definitely sucked into the story. It is so very different from The Ones We're Meant to Find, a book I loved, but different in a good way! Zephyr in the beginning was such a great character, I just wish there was more development across the board. I wanted more chemistry between the characters, but appreciate the complexity of strategies and I look forward to seeing how this story plays out.
Content warnings: abandonment, war themes, blood, torture, murder, alcohol abuse, death, child abuse, child death
I went in a bit blind - I was not sure entirely what would happen but was definitely surprised along the way. I like Zephyr as a character, she was snarky but also incredibly intelligent, always playing 3D chess when everyone around her doubted her at every turn. Even when she was enacting a plan, the author really makes us watch and see what is happening rather than describing the whole plan up front then enacting it.
I liked Crow as a character too, and was really interested to figure out more of his secrets and motives.....but he fell kind of flat. There was some chemistry with Zephyr, but ultimately I wanted more from him.
Then the middle of the book happened and we traversed into....godhood? Definitely not something I had expected to see in this book! I am not entirely sure I understand who Zephyr was before and how she ended up where she did, but I am intrigued to see where she goes from the end of this book. I will say though, that [spoiler] I definitely feel weird about her inhabiting the body of someone she knows for the second half of the book. It feels incredibly messed up, not only for that girl, but for the people around her, and I have conflicting feelings about it. [end spoiler] Suffice to say, I liked Zephyr better in the first half of the book.
This does leave on a cliffhanger after revealing some twists, so I am interested to read book two!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I was definitely sucked into the story. It is so very different from The Ones We're Meant to Find, a book I loved, but different in a good way! Zephyr in the beginning was such a great character, I just wish there was more development across the board. I wanted more chemistry between the characters, but appreciate the complexity of strategies and I look forward to seeing how this story plays out.
Content warnings: abandonment, war themes, blood, torture, murder, alcohol abuse, death, child abuse, child death