Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire, Netgalley and Colored Pages Book Tours for the e-ARC!

The magic system was original and fascinating, especially when we learned about the MC’s speciality: brewing potions. I loved how the author explored Venus’ family dynamics, her complicated relationship with her mother and the love she has for her sister and cousin. I also enjoyed how she handled the themes (racism, corruption, police brutality), and weaved them through the political intrigue. 

I am not the biggest fan of the writing as there was a lot of telling not showing and a few instances of info dumping. I loved the magic system, but it remained vague on a few aspects (e.g.: the deviations) that should’ve been clearer to grasp the worldbuilding better. The pacing set the story efficiently, but it became uneven when it got to the thrilling parts because of the amount of subplots, and the ending was a little abrupt.