Iwent into this one a little hesitant. I’ve read another book by this author before that didn’t quite work for me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect but honestly, this story started off very strong! The opening pulled me in immediately, and the world itself is genuinely cool. There’s a lot of intrigue in the setup, and for a while I was really invested in where things might go.

That said, as the story went on, I found myself struggling with the execution. The writing became very repetitive, with the same phrases, questions, and emotional beats resurfacing again and again in a way that pulled me out of the story. I also had a hard time buying into the relationship between the two main characters. Given the circumstances they’re thrown into, I never fully understood why they were drawn to each other beyond the story telling me they were.

I also want to mention one specific moment that really took me out of the story. <spoiler>The scene where Wren tells Gabriel that The Giving is fake felt completely nonsensical to me. The way he immediately believes her, without real hesitation or meaningful pushback, didn’t feel earned given the weight of what she was claiming and how deeply ingrained The Giving is supposed to be. On top of that, Wren’s thoughts of “You don’t know, of course you don’t.” felt especially cringe and undercut what should have been a tense, impactful revelation. Instead of heightening the stakes, the scene came across as flat and unconvincing, which made it harder for me to stay emotionally invested moving forward.</spoiler>

There were still elements I really enjoyed. Gabriel’s familiar was a standout and easily one of my favorite parts, and there were moments where the plot genuinely intrigued me. Unfortunately, those moments were spaced out by stretches that felt like they dragged, which made it hard to stay fully engaged.

Overall, this was a mixed experience for me. The concept and world are compelling, and I can see the potential, but the pacing and repetition kept it from being a standout read. If you enjoy slower fantasy with immersive worldbuilding, this may still be worth checking out.