I love reading about family dynamics and conflict, and this one was plentiful. It felt authentic and though there was some resentment, there was also a lot of love. I loved the magic and how ancestors play a part in it. The different branches, rituals, history, and the gods were interesting. It tackles quite a few themes like racism, cultural appropriation, bodily autonomy, and grief.

Clement was my favourite narrator. We get to see his struggles with anxiety, his fear of abandonment, and his queerness. I struggled more with Cristina’s personality, but I enjoyed her reclaiming her power.

A few elements felt rushed because the story happens within a few weeks: the character development, Cristina’s change of heart, Clement’s romance, and the timeline. New Orleans is a city I’m so intrigued by, and I wish we saw more of it. While I understand why we had the other POVs, only Valentina’s was interesting, and I didn’t like that they were in the third person. The prose had its moments, but overall it felt more middle-grade than YA.

I’m looking forward to the sequel. I hope we have a more developed subplot about politics (both in the magic council and with the elections’ result), and I need to see a few characters’ reactions to plot points.