At her web site, Bardugo warns potential readers that this book is very different from her Shadow and Bone books, darker and more adult, and I appreciated the tip because it is definitely an adult book, intense and violent enough that a couple of times I almost decided to stop reading. That said, I couldn't stand not to know what happened! And it's a very good book and enlivened with touches of the same humor you'll find in Shadow and Bone. I don't regret reading it and look forward to a planned sequel.