What a debut! This book is full of vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, and others!

It did take me a while to get into this book. The pacing at the beginning is a little off with all the information. There are many different politics and feuds going on, which is hard to keep track of. It made it convoluted and slowed my reading way down. I saw a few reviews where people gave up at 20%. I’m sorry you did that because it was worth the slow pace in the beginning.

Now, after I got to about 30% and the characters started to form their rebel group, it was hard to put down. There are many amazing characters in this book. I loved how we had one of each group/leader/class coming together. The way they formed a bond was just so beautiful. The bookworm and sorcerer and their knowledge were so fun to read about. It’s truly showing you how knowledge is power. I adored the relationships between each of them and all together. Jacob was a character that seemed so weak and annoying. I ended up feeling for him and rooting for him in the end! Sam is one of the characters with the most beautiful character arc! I loved watching her journey, even if it’s heartbreaking at times. Humorous moments break up some of the darker moments.

The magic and politics are intriguing and unique. Just a heads up, there are several brutal moments in this book. While the book starts off as a murder investigation, it quickly turns into a lot more. Characters realize that they might be in over their head. Deep secrets are coming to light and entrenched in the world created for them.

Overall, I enjoyed this debut! You do have to put in some slow-paced reading effort, but it is worth it. There is so much potential here! By the end, I was obsessed with these characters. I cannot wait for book two!!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the e-arc (thanks Netgalley) and finished copy!! All thoughts and opinions are my own!