Hardcover, 416 pages
English language
Published May 9, 2023 by Ace.
A boy has lived his whole life trapped within a vast library, older than empires and larger than cities.
A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.
The world has never even noticed them. That's about to change.
Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.
Felt fast paced throughout though there was still plenty of time to get to know the cat on the stairs. Really dig the world building. Takes as a challenge Asimov's “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Epic in scope, tight in character development. Looking forward to the next in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really know what to expect going into it and I ended up loving it. The plot is relatively complex and there's time travel and stuff but it pays off. Can't wait to read the sequels when they are released.
I really enjoyed the story of Livira and Evar, and I especially loved learning more and more about the mysterious library. I found their romance to be emotional and relatable, especially for a straight couple. Unfortunately I feel like the ending didn't quite conclude as much as it just stopped, but I presume it will be picked up again in the next book, for which I await with bated breath. The fact that this book relies heavily on time travel and that I actually LIKED it should be a huge testament to it's strength.
