I admit that some of my disappointment for this book stems from the cover. I was expecting a female character who fights and is powerful-- a rare thing in fantasy-- and I got a character who... fights eventually. I don't know, that's probably a Me problem.

I will say this novel feels a little half-baked, not least because it seems to exist without any breathing room. We're hurled from one plot twist to another, and the shock value seems to rely on preexisting understanding of tropes, rather than the events happening within the novel.

That said, all the characters act in ways that make complete sense for their world and background, and all the beats feel more or less earned. I just came to this wanting dark fantasy featuring a female protagonist, and got an endless series of rug pulls and Warhammer references. (Like, seriously. This book owes a huge debt to WH40k, I cannot even begin to tell you.)