Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill Publishing for an early release copy

Io is back, and we are immediately thrown back into following her and mob queen Bianca back on their quest to follow the golden thread. As a second book, you are immediately launched into the story and I almost forgot how many moving parts there were. I probably needed a little more of a recap or to have some kind of synopsis. I was lost.

But much like the enjoyment of the first one, the author’s world building is detailed and immersive and such an enjoyable feat. Surprisingly as someone who is not a romance reader, I found myself craving Io’s romance from the first novel and maybe that dynamic was just more interesting intriguing than the dynamic created between Io and Bianca in the first half of this one. I would also have enjoyed more character focus on the sisters, giving more development on their relationship.

As a young adult duology, I wish this was on more people’s radars and got the credit it deserved. Beneath the fantasy, it’s an intricate crime puzzle, leaving you wondering who to root for till the end. I would love to see this author explore into adult detective novels in future.