Whew. This took a while to read — not the least because I've been on a huge reading slump, but also because I wasn't as invested in the story as I'd hoped. It really picked up near the end, which is why I'm still giving it a good rating, but I do wish it had picked up a little sooner than that.

In truth, my biggest qualm was with the worldbuilding. Though it is solidly done, and the world mythos is quite interesting, there is so much infodumping in this book. The characters are constantly learning new things about the world through chunks of explanation given in dialogue, and though the content is interesting, the scene itself turns out boring, because so much is being told rather than shown through the action. I don't remember Captive Prince doing it nearly as much, but I might be biased...

That's much of what kept me from finishing it as quickly as I would otherwise have, because I was really quite invested in the main quartet of characters. Will, James, Violet and Cyprian were all very well developed, and their relationships feel appropriately nuanced. Katherine and Elizabeth are... okay. They definitely fall short when compared to the rest, probably because their story is barely there in comparison (which works to keep the mystery going, but not to flesh out their characters and make one properly interested). There's also the fact that the relationship between Katherine and Will was rather poorly executed, and Elizabeth hardly there at all — though I expect this will change in future instalments.  As for the ending,

though I did begin to see the twist coming, I couldn't be mad about it — not when it's as good a twist as this. And I have to say I definitely wouldn't be mad about a pretty corruption arc in the next books, either...

The focus is most certainly on Will and James, and I'd quite like it kept there, thank you very much. They share by far the most interesting dynamic, and while it is possible to see echoes of Damen and Laurent in some of their interactions, they are very much their own characters, which is great to see. I'll be looking forward to seeing where Pacat takes the story next.

what is this bs
and when is the next one coming out 👹😀

Not that I didn't enjoy it, but I have to say this was a bit disappointing for the most part. I think part of it is that the story would work better if it was set on a different world, because the way the big Dark King and the battles between good and evil are explained strike me as unbelievable if they are to fit in the history of our world. I know the characters say that "not all history is written and not all that's written has passed" or some such thing, but without some actual in text evidence it's just hard to swallow.
There are three main POV characters, and while I kind of liked Violet and by the end I actually liked Will, I still didn't love any of them and Katherine was just a walking book stock character (naive 19th century lady who liked dresses and frills and is mostly concerned with her reputation has been done before so many times, and this iteration has nothing new).
Now, while I liked the way the book ended and will want to read more, I really don't like this thing where the writer puts you in the head of a character but somehow manages to keep crucial information that the character knows hidden from the reader until some big reveal at the end. If that was the way it was to be, then I'd rather the narration keep off the characters' heads or the character in question not to have a POV.