Sci-fi isn’t a genre I read often, and the beginning of the book felt like saying ‘what the hell, sure’ over and over, but the world building is done incredibly well and I could not stop thinking about the story.

I loved the way language and culture was explored through the novel. The author made it feel like the characters really were speaking a different language that you had to learn while reading, despite being written in English. The impact colonialism and identity had on Mahit’s character was also super interesting, and made the ending that much more impactful to me.

The politics were genuinely interesting as well, which is a feat in its own. Although I didn’t really know where the story was going, I was so incredibly invested in what was going on with the Emperor and the different ministries. And the resolution felt like a natural progression to the story, rather than a shocking or unbelievable end. 

Addictive, unique, impeccable world building. Definitely a must read!