I read this book as a buddy read with a couple of friends. At first I was a little put off with the terminology and I also thought it was a little boring because it moved a little slow for me and I was contemplating putting it down. After part 1 had finished the book really took off. And then I was completely immersed in the story.
In this story we have Karou who is a part of the Chimerae race, having been raised by Brimstone. Karou uses wishes freely without considering what makes them work. Brimstone continually tells her that she is foolish. She runs 'errands' for Brimstone of transporting teeth because they are essential for their survival even though Karou does not really know the use for them. She finds that she has to hide her life from her best friend, Zuzana. Soon burned handprints are found on doors(portals) everywhere and it becomes a threat to Karou and her world as she knows it. Wars rage between the Chimerae and the Seraphim. And the story goes on...
So like I mentioned the story started off a little slow for me and I had considered putting the book down. Once I finished part 1 the book took off. The world came alive, the excitement and adventure started. I think that the imagery was in the book was amazing. It was so visual throughout the book that I could picture myself there in Karou's shoes. I really enjoyed the world building in the story. I also love how poetic the author is. Plenty of passages to enjoy in this book. I also loved how significant the title is to the story.
The book did do some switching back and forth from one time to another but more near the end of the story. This is so readers can get an idea about what had happened to cause certain events in the story. The back story is helpful, you just have to be sure to pay attention to what point you are in the story or it will get a little confusing. But once you get used to the writing style it flows much better.
I love the characters in this story. Again there is quite a few characters introduced at the beginning so it gets a little confusing and it take a bit of focus to follow them all. Once you get used to them all it is easier to follow each one of them. My favorite of course is Karou even though at first she seems a bit spoiled she does grow on you and you figure out she has been kept in the dark about a lot of stuff. She does become quite a strong character. I also really enjoyed her best friend Zuzana. She helps keep Karou grounded and focused. One other character that I found quite enjoyable is Akiva who is of the Seraphim race. I like how he is written into the story and you learn more about him as the story goes on. The character growth in the story is amazing and you can't help but fall in love with them.
I find this book to be both character and plot driven which is always helpful. I look forward to the rest of this series. And I recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy. Beautifully written and very engaging. So glad I stuck with it!
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