I was really impressed with the setting in this book so far, the festivities, crowded streets, and elegant manor all leapt right off the page. The sense of magic and fantasy is just palpable throughout and really drew me in. I also liked the twin dynamic (though I'm biased as a twin myself) and thought both of them were well-written so far. I also think the place where this excerpt ends creates both a great sense of mystery and some clear tension, which I enjoyed!
Though it's still very early, I'm not 100% sold on the romance (or at least assuming I've guessed the main love interest right). The text both seems to poke some fun at conventional YA fantasy romances with a mention of like, crooked smirks and everything, but at the same time, Iselia instantly deciding to hate this guy she also finds handsome also feels extremely expected, so it doesn't quite subvert these tropes--at least not in this short excerpt! It very well could have a very compelling romance as the book goes on, I just wasn't necessarily super into it so far.
Though it's still very early, I'm not 100% sold on the romance (or at least assuming I've guessed the main love interest right). The text both seems to poke some fun at conventional YA fantasy romances with a mention of like, crooked smirks and everything, but at the same time, Iselia instantly deciding to hate this guy she also finds handsome also feels extremely expected, so it doesn't quite subvert these tropes--at least not in this short excerpt! It very well could have a very compelling romance as the book goes on, I just wasn't necessarily super into it so far.