“Destroying what someone else cherished never brought back what you yourself had lost. All it did was spread grief like a contagion.”

I have been having such a good reading year and this book thankfully continued to cement that for me.

There are no words to describe how shocked I was to find out that this was a DEBUT because this beautifully written book felt like it had been crafted by someone who had years experience of writing fantasy. Turns out, Parker-Chan is just phenomenally talented.

I found myself feeling giddy and hooked on the story within the first few chapters. It made me feel the same way I did when I read The Poppy War Trilogy, the beautiful mixture of history and fantasy.

It’s not often that you get a fantasy book that explores the gender identity journey of a character that feels truly authentic and close to home. 

The fact that this is also queer and written by a fellow Australian? I am so ready for the next book and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.