I love vampires and so vampires lesbians automatically just mean I expect to like a book and more forgiving.

But there were so many inconsistencies and for what seems no reason. If an author is gonna move away from traditional vampires rules you’d think they’d do it ij an interesting way. Why are they in the sun? Why are they eating food and starbucks? How can someone tell she didn’t get a good night sleep but said they didn’t need to sleep earlier in the book? 😬😭 Like c’mon it’s like she forgot they were vampires most of the book besides biting each other.

I did like the characters banter and thought it was funny, but the plot just wasn’t there. The premise of a couple vampires struggling with money because unlike the average vampire hoarding wealth for centuries did pull me in but tbh it didn’t seem like a real problem for them nor one they intended to solve.

I really wanted to like the book a lot more. If I could listen to the audiobook and actually pay attention while doing a chore or something and maybe miss these things maybe I’d enjoy it a little more but even then the story was too long for what takes place.

There’s so much to dive into. But it’s kinda difficult without spoiling things.

Kinda quick things first. Lot of world building, I think I’d have trouble keeping track of names, I wasn’t reading along with audiobook. And glad I was highlighting as well. But I did love all and the battles, and how detailed things could get. It does get a little slow in the middle, and there’s tons of information but I wouldn’t say this is information you can just go along for the ride. I was scared I’d get bored of the politics between the nobles. But I think it’s more that the pacing changes for a bit giving more detail and allowed me to get attached to the characters being introduced. I usually like to bounce between two books, but felt like instead of giving my brain a break that I’d lose momentum as I didn’t feel particularly attached to Baru at first, but just assumed it was because her education had made it so she hid part of herself because it was sin so by design we don’t fully grasp all she is and who she is becoming because of how repressed she is.

I saw Tain Hu as someone to break her out of her shell and out of some of the Masquerade teachings. And the slow burn from their first meeting was just amazing. Oh also, I liked that she was accountant and had wanted to be a scholar and that the women she’s shown interest in are sword wielding women, without being the soft polar opposite.

I knew she’d be making difficult and heavy choices going into battle and maybe brushed off some of her amazement of some Masquerade or how she compartmentalized her feelings/thoughts a little too easily sometimes.

I’m still reeling from the end and definitely have some conflicting feelings as some of Baru’s final actions shows how far she’s willing to go, but I know I want more of her.