This book ticks a lot of boxes that come up repeatedly on bookish reddit. For those in a rut who want a good short book to pull them out of it. For those who want to transition from MG and YA to adult books. For those who want a cosy atmosphere in a book but don’t want anything too saccharine. I can see it appealing to Harry Potter fans, people who enjoy Becky Chambers, T Kingfisher and Tamsin Muir fans, even though it is nothing like a Tamsin Muir book.
I only have one critique which is that the world building was a touch too minimal in the start. I really found it difficult to visual the world and how it worked. There is nothing inept about Older’s worldbuilding, she creates beautiful specific details in other parts of the book that are just lovely. This was an intentional choice on her part which didn’t quite work for me.
Apart from that I love the way this book brought together a lot of things and had them working harmoniously together. Interesting characters, a touch of romance, a unique sci-fi world that felt textured and human, interesting thoughtful themes, a very solid mystery plot which kept the tension up. I finished this book feeling like I had just had a well balanced light lunch. I felt nourished and satisfied, without feeling weighed down.
by Indifferent_Jackdaw