Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own. 

I really enjoyed most of this book. I loved the mix of historical fiction and fantasy alongside the mystery/thriller vibe; it was such a wonderful blend of genres.  I enjoyed the senses of adventure and tension and thought Brooks did a great job of weaving elements of the story and foreshadowing throughout the novel.

I think this book struggles a little from some classic problems that are almost bound to arise with certain framing choices. The split perspective chapters were interesting, but I found some to be compelling and others to drag, which unbalanced the pacing of the story for me. I thought the first quarter of the book was very fast-paced and exciting, but that feeling dropped off around the halfway point and became a much slower story, in my eyes. I wish we had gotten more of a chance to connect and grow with some of the more interesting characters like Marya in lieu of Elena, who I didn't care about as much.

At the end of the day, though, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what Brooks comes out with next.