What in the

eugenicist, fascist, white supremacist, colonialist, cousin-loving

scripture did I just experience. 

It smells like a

sporehouse

in here. Clearly,

the house embodies the ideas of nurture being stronger than nature in terms of behaviour development and tradition adoption

. Counter to core eugenicist beliefs. 

I identified the themes on page 18 and guessed where this would end up not long after with the constant reminders of the

Ouroboros

presence. This didn't detract from the read, it weirdly enhanced it. Like knowing what's going to happen politically doesn't change the horror of it happening. 

None of the characters are redeemable, and that feels like the point to me. Noemì is a socialite, far from reality. The Doyle's are of "good and proper breeding". The plot IS the characters, and how they imprint themselves on the world to leave a legacy. Consequently, this close-knit (

you might say incestuous

) cast cannot be deemed diverse, as I again think this is the point. However, it is a rich narrative, with a sense of diverse themes. 

4.5 stars. 0.5 taken off for a slow crawl through Act II

and for the positive ending. End in misery. Like global politics.