SPOILER FREE
An amazing beginning to a great series. The author has described characters that are complex and multi dimensional. The backstories of the characters was an element of the book that captivated me and was something I greatly enjoyed reading. Often in fantasy, it starts slow and there is an overload of world building but contrary to some of the other reviews I have read I did not find this to be the case. I devoured this book and could not wait to get my hands on the sequel. Although when the book began, it seemed similar to that of other novels in the same genre, I found this to be different from most of the other fantasy series I have read. The enemies to lovers trope was also done differently and as it progressed throughout the series, it become more dissimilar to other interpretations of the same trope. I have read quite a few of Holly Black's books and I am inclined to be of the opinion that this is one of the best.
An amazing beginning to a great series. The author has described characters that are complex and multi dimensional. The backstories of the characters was an element of the book that captivated me and was something I greatly enjoyed reading. Often in fantasy, it starts slow and there is an overload of world building but contrary to some of the other reviews I have read I did not find this to be the case. I devoured this book and could not wait to get my hands on the sequel. Although when the book began, it seemed similar to that of other novels in the same genre, I found this to be different from most of the other fantasy series I have read. The enemies to lovers trope was also done differently and as it progressed throughout the series, it become more dissimilar to other interpretations of the same trope. I have read quite a few of Holly Black's books and I am inclined to be of the opinion that this is one of the best.