I don't know how to describe this book except as confused not living up to its premise. My main problems are the half-baked romance and how having two leads prevents really exploring our characters more deeply. I personally didn't feel any spark in between our leads so the romance didn't feel compelling. It's hard to articulate exactly what is missing, but I do feel there was a real lack of yearning. I also felt that we didn't have enough wrestling with these characters and the roles that they have been forced into as archetypes of the villainous woman. There's so much to reflect on and I think this concept would have worked better as like a black box play. The specific theatre comp that comes to mind for me is Assassins and the way in which these different characters are all existing in a strange plane of reality. That show is able to really nail who these people are, identify their underlying motivations, and reflect on greater societal themes.

When it comes down to it, I think the biggest issue is that I've seen multiple pieces of media that better tackle the themes presented in this book. The Isle in the Silver Sea has a stronger romance and engages with the idea of characters, including a woman villain, rejecting their preexisting roles. The Everlasting reflects on the cycle of reimagining characters and the role that stories can play in the human experience. Finally, I think that Dimension 20 Neverafter does a better job at doing a horror twist on classic characters and engaging with authors as characters in their own right. When you're writing on themes that have been well tread in recent years, I think that the story needs to be well executed.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC.

This is really an incredible read, the hype exists for a reason!! As someone who detests the enemies to lovers, enemies to friends,!enemies to anything trope because I have trouble actually enjoying myself throughout all of the angst, this book did a wonderful job of making me care about Gideon and Harrow’s connection. The difference I think with them and other enemies to lovers relationships is that Tamsyn Muir refuses to pull any punches with them and makes their arc feel earned and realistic. In fact, she doesn’t pull punches at all throughout this book which makes it heart wrenching and depressing yes, but also incredibly grounded. One result of this is the cast of characters which has to be one of my favorites of all time, not because I particularly liked everyone but because they are all written with layers of complexity and thematic coherence. This is genuinely one of the most harrowing pieces of media utilizing the deadly trials trope that I have ever consumed, and I’m a fan of the Hunger Games and Danganronpa, and that is mainly due to the cast. This is all without mentioning the vast worldbuilding complete with a religion, magic system, history of war, military, and more which Muir manages to create intrigue for without leaving an abundance of plot holes in the book. I’ve honestly never read a book 1 of a series that felt so complete, this could honestly work as a standalone, and didn’t feel like the subsequent sequels were a cash grab. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series although I do need a bit of a break, lesbians we love you!!