Umm. Wow. And to think this was a book I started months ago, felt it was so much of a slog in the early chapters that I almost gave up and dumped in the DNF pile…
Fucking wow.
Once the action began, this story was plot twist after plot twist; when I thought there couldn't possibly be more plot twists, well, of course there were more. And they were glorious.
For a story with so many POVs, I was especially impressed with how distinct all the voices sounded, how each of the crew members' past shaped their present, and how much I adored all of them.
The lines were my type of mean and beautiful:
She wouldn't wish love on anyone. It was the guest you welcomed and then couldn't be rid of.
He'd offer her salvation and then deny it. He'd gift her with affection and small kindnesses then snatch them away. He would savor every tear she shed and replace that sweet green flower scent with the salt of her sorrow on his tongue.
For a time I simply could not understand the hype around this duology. Now I say: Give in to the hype.
This was hands down my favourite fantasy book since ACOTAR and I'm almost certain that once I've gone through the sequel, Crooked Kingdom, I'll be adding Leigh Bardugo to my list of favourite authors.
Completed: 30 June 2020
So after the Covid-19 restrictions relaxed in Perth, I visited the local library for the first time in many years. It was there I picked up a physical copy of this book and henceforth ditched the eBook version. As much as I love my Kindle, I found the physical book far easier to read. The difference was massive!
Despite my love for technology and the obvious conveniences of eBooks (in fact I really missed the dictionary and highlighting functions as I read this book), I guess I'll always be a dinosaur lady who prefers the feel of real pages under my fingertips.
And now I face the tough decision of which book to move onto next…
