Big thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC! I appreciate the opportunity to read and give my honest review.

This is really 2.5 stars rounded up to 3, and that’s being generous because this is a debut.

First up: marketing this as dark adult fantasy was a mistake, imo. This is YA in tone, style, and content; edit out a few curse words and bloody details and this is upper YA all the way through (though I think I’ve read bloodier YA tbh). Adding the sort of self-discovery and coming-of-age growth we usually see in YA would have really helped this novel; as is, the characters just sort of fall flat. I also intensely disliked the default use of “man” in this, even when the MC is referring to herself, for example in idiomatic expressions.

Let’s start with what I DID like:
• While the worldbuilding was highly derivative, I enjoyed the concept of two of the divines, the Odious Tinkerer and the Dread Beast. Cool names, right? Those were fun.
• Sevelie, who was the only developed character with an arc that made sense.
• The arm sacrifice and follow-up moments of how it impacts Alma.

Beyond that, this was, unfortunately, poorly written and unoriginal. Alma is not memorable. She often thinks about how selfish and terrible she is, but then feels guilty and tries to be kind to everyone — even though she was “chosen” because of her darkness and longing for revenge. The “revenge for dead mother” as a catalyst has been done to death and wasn’t even convincing here. The Umbral Plane and its monsters are just a spirit portal and dark spirits (Legend of Korra, anyone?), plus for some reason a Weeping Angel is in there (call it what you want and make excuses for its nature, but that’s a statue that can’t move when you’re looking at it and then attacks when you blink? That’s a Weeping Angel.) The prose is equally uninteresting, with cliche expressions and unnecessary fillers.

The plot itself was muddled and repetitive. Alma wants revenge on her father because he sent for the wrong kind of healer and her mother dies (which might have happened anyway). After she’s spent 8 years plotting revenge and feeling sorry for herself, she finds out more bad stuff about her father to justify taking him down, and then yet more bad stuff. Supporting characters are wishy-washy and change not just their minds but their entire personalities in order to dish out exposition and move the plot along, and still quite a few of them make decisions and alliances with no convincing motivation.

I really, really wanted to like Aster, her “monster,” but he turned out to just be a bland, watered-down version of your typical kind of annoying, kind of control-freak fantasy love interest. Also, this is not a romance in any contemporary sense of the word (sorry, monster-f**kers; like I said, this all reads very YA. It’s your first toxic teenage relationship with some pining and “it’ll never work” and that’s it).

The ending was pretty easy to guess, which made it unsatisfying, because I kept hoping there was going to be a twist or something unexpected, but I don’t think at any point I was truly excited by what was going on or felt any kind of anticipation for what would happen next.

That said, if you like formulaic fantasy and your stereotypical inhuman love interest, you might still enjoy this. For me, it wasn’t hugely problematic or infuriating — just boring. There’s nothing in here you haven’t read or seen before.

This book is going to stay with me for a long time, mainly because of that ending. It’s the kind that leaves a mark. It’s one of those “we’re doomed from the start” stories, and let me just say, I absolutely love that trope. It always gets me.

First off, the premise sounded amazing, the cover is absolutely stunning, and I was completely sold. I was hooked before even opening the book. The opening chapters were gripping and kept me turning the pages. Plus, the illustrations? Gorgeous. I honestly wanted more of them. But as the story went on, things started to lose momentum. The world-building, in particular, felt underdeveloped and left me confused at times, which was disappointing. Still, the dark fairy tale vibe worked really well, even if the pacing dragged in parts.

Now, let’s talk about Alma. She’s a fierce protagonist who’s also surprisingly relatable. Her mix of rage and compassion kept her character dynamic and interesting. And then there’s Aster, her imaginary friend who’s always by her side. I have to say, his starlit hair is the kind of magical detail I love in books (It's perfection). I really wanted more from his characterization, though. He felt a bit flat at times, which was disappointing because he had so much potential. If his character had more depth, I think the emotional impact of the story would’ve hit even harder. That said, the dynamic between Alma and Aster kept me invested. It’s messy, flawed, and toxic, but also raw and fascinating. Despite their imperfections, I couldn’t help liking them both.

What truly stands out is the ending. I had a feeling the twist was coming, but I didn’t expect it to hurt that much. It was cruel, heartbreaking, and left me feeling completely hollow. I couldn’t stop crying afterward because it hit me right in the heart. I kept holding onto hope that something magical might happen, but it never did. It’s the kind of ending that sticks with you, no matter how much you want to forget.

“I always knew this story wouldn't have a happy ending. But still, I wanted to dream, for a while.”

“You are the worst thing that's ever happened to me. But also, the best. In another world, maybe you and I would have been happy, living quiet lives and keeping each other company.”

It reminds me so much of the bridge of Electric Touch by Taylor Swift.

I was thinking just one time
Maybe the stars align
And maybe I call you mine
And you won't need space
Or string me along while you decide
And just one time
Maybe the moment's right
It's 8:05 and I see two headlights