The art is fantastic, and I really enjoyed the premise of the book. However, I found the quality of the writing a little lacking. I found it difficult to connect with the characters given the narrative style and the pacing. There’s so much opportunity to build out the characters in more detail, and really dive into their relationships, strengths, and flaws. For example, I would have loved for Mavus’ character to be more developed and some insight to her plan foreshadowed through the book.
Very well-written overall, with some incredibly complex and absolutely enchanting world building. I sped through the entire book in one sitting and was left wanting more. The plot twist at the end of the book was definitely one I did not see coming and, while I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending of the book, it definitely set up a lot of really interesting potential for the second book.
First, the artwork in this book is stunning. I purchased it mostly so I could have all of the art without buying every single print! However, the writing, while creative, is not up to the standard that I expect when reading a book for pleasure. It does, however, serve as a nice narrative linking the art pieces together.