I was excited to read this book after reading the first two chapters and the summary. However, the whole book didn't live up to my expectations for a mystery-fantasy-adventure (perhaps because I'm also reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and was unintentionally comparing the two).
The plot was confusing and twisted in a way that's appropriate for mystery novels. One of the reasons I kept reading was because I was hoping that things would become more clear and the mystery would be solved. The mystery was solved--kinda--but not in a way that came with the satisfaction at the end of a good mystery. In a similar vein on the fantasy side of things, the world-building was solid, but not particularly interesting or clear-cut.
I appreciated the author's inclusion and centering of characters of color and powerful (queer) women. Buc's character develops over the course of the novel, but the rest of the characters stay static and appear and disappear haphazardly (lending to the confusing plot).
Overall, this was an ok debut novel. It seems set up for a sequel, so maybe the loose ends will get tied up in that.
The plot was confusing and twisted in a way that's appropriate for mystery novels. One of the reasons I kept reading was because I was hoping that things would become more clear and the mystery would be solved. The mystery was solved--kinda--but not in a way that came with the satisfaction at the end of a good mystery. In a similar vein on the fantasy side of things, the world-building was solid, but not particularly interesting or clear-cut.
I appreciated the author's inclusion and centering of characters of color and powerful (queer) women. Buc's character develops over the course of the novel, but the rest of the characters stay static and appear and disappear haphazardly (lending to the confusing plot).
Overall, this was an ok debut novel. It seems set up for a sequel, so maybe the loose ends will get tied up in that.