me and csevet:

i really felt akin to maia reading this book as i went from completely lost and frustrated, to stressed out, to hopeful and excited. i'm not a girl of the court so, like maia, i was already at a disadvantage with sifting through the characters/ranks/roles but (with more than a little help from the blessed internet) i figured it out for the most part and now i'm invested. where i was initially frustrated at the narrow purview, i realized that it was fitting in truly appreciating maia's journey and experiencing the same doubts, trusts/mistrusts, betrayals, information gathering, decision making, etc. it's really remarkable how detailed a court/world addison was able to create - as confusing as the names were, it's impressive how much thought went into the family trees and all the connections/interplay. i adored all the (good) side characters and appreciated their growth overtime alongside maia. and if i'm being honest, i learned a good amount about leadership and benevolence that i probably will take into my own day to day. looking beyond the plots and subplots and conspiracy, there's a lot regarding overcoming fears and bigotry, fighting for favor with kindness and fairness, learning with grace, and admitting wrongs with humility yet retaining power. in today's day and age, a political figure like this gives me hope that things can change - in more than a few ways i see maia in mayor zohran mamdani in the sense that they are both strong, humble, kind, fair, incredibly hard-working, and truly want to do some good in the world.

the more i think about this book, the more i love it, however i'd be remiss to mention i wanted a bit more action - how can this be with two coups i know, but i just felt something was missing. for 440 pages, resignation to a few ornate rooms trying to learn the names of these wicked or inconsequential elves unfortunately gave me cabin fever and made it difficult for me to get through the first half. but now i'm excited to check out the next books (being a celehar stan) and i expect it's going to significantly expand the world. for me - a very good book; for anyone who loves books starting with "the court of xyz" - perhaps a six star book.

⭐️ 4.75 ⭐️