An interesting situation. I don’t normally like character-centered books but I did enjoy this. I’m not sure if I would recommend it.

Favorite quote: It was sometimes hard for her to tell if her passions were her own, or the result of other people’s.

I thought the layout of this book was very interesting. Unfortunately, it took me too many chapters to realize they were connected and I got discouraged pretty quickly. I may come back to this in the future for a more present and intentional reading.

Overall, I thought this was unique and clever, a mosaic of a story. Coming into this blind, it was disjointed for me. I thought they were individual essays or observations.

Both interesting and familiar! I love a book heavy with mythology and this did not disappoint. Kosara was a little annoying at points, more so towards the end of the book, where I was hoping for more growth from her. I do think she got somewhere in the end. Looking forward to seeing where the sequel goes.

I found this significantly less engaging than the first book. The characters are completely one dimensional. Our villain (Mikaen) is so flat and boring. I feel like this book really held your hand and walked you through every single thought, emotion, conversation, interaction. There was no room for nuance. I really don’t know if I’ll be continuing this series.

I had a lot of fun with this book. It’s a classic epic fantasy, easy to get into, and I love a sci-fantasy magic system. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator does a fantastic job.

I don’t really love a young protagonist- Nyx is 14. It’s an overdone trope to the point of boring. I may change my mind about this depending on the timeline of the rest of the series. For example, in Robin Hobbs’ Farseer books, the storyline spans the length of her protagonist’s life. I am not optimistic here, however, considering the timeline for Moonfall.

This book felt similar to Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos, which I loved.

I liked the mention at the end of the city name. It puts in perspective the position of the frozen earth. I am looking forward to the rest of the series, and I’ve already started the second book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read it for a book club and wasn’t sure what to expect. The story itself is fantastic. It’s very much a hijinks oriented fiction rooted in the real world. And even more so rooted due to the authors interjections. I can’t imagine the emotions the Ukrainian diaspora has experienced since the “start” of the war - (a concept also touched on by the novel. The war has been happening in Crimea for years.) To write a fun-yet-grim wacky adventure about a common trope/stereotype without seriously acknowledging the real life invasion would feel disingenuous. I saw a few comments in the forum about how the authors meta chapters were jarring or distracted from the story, but I think that is the point. This isn’t just a story and you aren’t supposed to forget about real Ukrainians. Slava Ukraini!