this was amazing from start to finish! i was absorbed into the story from the very first page - the writing really draws you in. every pov character has their own way unique inner monologue that furthers their personalities and the readers’ understanding of the whole world. world building doesn’t take up a hundred pages of info dumping in the beginning (major plus)

the magic is very original. i really like that it’s not endless and that there are consequences to using your “magic” which makes it feel more real. vin as a main character is so interesting and lived through an unbelievable development. meanwhile, the other characters are equally as fleshed out and in tune with their personalities. i love the whole found family trope here and even though i initially didn’t want a romance to happen at all, i’m definitely okay that we got one.

apart from that, the plot definitely isn’t one of those typical saviour-things, but is very thought-out and real because the characters actually feel like real people with flaws.