so I did enjoy this book and by the end I was going for four stars, but it was such a bitch to get into that I just have to deduct a half star. if you can get 100 pages in, I personally found it interesting and fun to read. but there is sooooo much info dumping at the beginning. just a bunch of crap to the point where I mostly skimmed a lot of it. but now that we're probably mostly past that, I definitely see myself reading at least the next book in the series when it comes out.

but even with that info dumping, there's continuity errors? maybe the editors and beta readers skimmed too. anyway one little part bothered me. at the beginning, the city is described as being so densely packed that when it rains you only really get damp or splashed from the gutters. but then later, Calla runs inside a building to avoid getting rained on? maybe that was because she was in the rich area or maybe it's lazy writing.

so jumping to the relationship. once Calla and Anton meet and start an alliance, there's a lot of jumping around in time. that part didn't bother me at all, but presumably the two get closer during these times. so it seems to the reader that at some point they're randomly in love? I would have liked to see at least some of their bonding even when we jumped around.

IN DEFENSE!!: I've seen reviews saying that this book is super pro monarchy etc, but I completely disagree. I think Calla and August are delusional thinking that August really can fix the kingdom and that is the point. literally everyone else around them know the toll of being a leader and tell them that August is going to be a tyrant. And, as the story goes on, we see what August is willing to do to get to the crown, showing that he is not as benevolent as he thinks.

back to my regularly scheduled complaints. this book straight up rips The Hunger Games.
- battle royale style competition 
- dystopian
- alliance that the audience assumes is romantic
-
*SPOILER TERRITORY*
-
- young friend competitor that dies while teaming up with main character

but you know what???? that ending??????? I was so gagged. when the fuck did Anton learn how to jump without the light? where even was August in proximity to Anton for him to jump?? I'm screaming. this is gonna be lovers to enemies to lovers in the next books I just know it I CAN'T WAIT