Still really enjoying this series overall! The only reason this book landed at a 3-star instead of the 4 stars i’ve given the other books was that this level felt much harder to follow than the others and seemed unnecessarily confusing at times. Excited for the next book though!

⭐☆☆☆☆

I really understood what this book was trying to do in terms of showing how intertwined the lives of four people can become and the cascading effects they have on one another over time. Patrick Ryan also did a genuinely impressive job transitioning between perspectives. The flow was seamless and natural without relying on harsh chapter breaks or jarring shifts, which made the structure feel very polished.

That said, I was incredibly bored almost the entire time.

The characters, the setting, and honestly the overall atmosphere just felt so dull and lifeless to me. I started losing interest around 20% in, but because this book has such strong reviews online, I kept pushing through hoping something would click or the story would build into something more compelling. Unfortunately, it never did.

The writing style also did not work for me. It felt extremely matter of fact and dry, almost like reading a history textbook at times rather than a historical fiction novel meant to emotionally pull you in. I can appreciate the technical craftsmanship of the storytelling structure, but I never felt invested in the people or their lives.

Overall, I would not recommend it, especially when there are so many stronger and more immersive historical fiction books out there.