3.5 -4 stars

While I enjoyed the complex themes of identity, race, family, and colonialism, this book felt incomplete. The magic system was super underdeveloped, I have no idea how it works. There are some weird gods that communicate through animals?? and sometimes you can use your power for destruction but something you get cursed?? I liked Touraine's and the rebel's characters (mainly Jaghotai and Djasha). I still HATE Luca with every fiber of my being. I might have shipped them a bit before, but Touraine deserves better than her bigoted selfish ass. Then again romances between an oppressor and the oppressed leave a bad taste.

The resolution kinda felt rushed to me. Everything just fixed itself perfectly in the last few chapters, and that felt weird after so much buildup and animosity on both sides. Once again the unexplained op magic ended up being a deus ex machina, which didn't really please me. I don't feel like a sequel is necessary but I guess it could be read as a companion novel. Other than that, it was nice to read a queer norm world as always, plus the inspirations from the French colonizing of Morocco/North Africa/ Middle East was also very interesting.

Lastly, Touraine's biceps are probably the main reason why anyone picked this book up in the first place (you're lying to yourself if you disagree), and I can't say I was disappointed with the number of hot women this novel had :)