A must read for queer and neurodivergents!!

*No spoilers*

I read this book on a whim after about 0.02 seconds of research (compared to my normal hour or more investigation before I read most things, but especially by an author I haven’t read before) and I could not be happier with my choice. The characterization is incredible. The way the author (after stalking their Instagram I’m unsure what name they use, so I’m going to call them the author) was able to so effectively show autism in an afab, undiagnosed character, without blatantly stating “this character is autistic” is incredible. And not at all preachy or pushy. It’s just who she is. But you get to see the way she sees the world and how different it is from her seemingly neurotypical counterpart. It’s so well done and just made my heart hurt in such a good way to see someone like me in media being portrayed in a completely non judgmental and healthy way.

Another great thing about this book was the way the author introduced the setting. The lore, history, geography, etc. is very interesting but also very different than the world we live in. Sometimes with fantasy like that it can feel so overwhelming or confusing, or it’s dumped on you in wall after wall of exposition. Neither were a problem in this case. The author did a fantastic job of “showing, not telling” through memories, and experiences.

As I mentioned, this is a no spoiler review, so I can’t get into the story much, but it’s very good. It has intrigue and some mystery, while also being exciting enough to enjoy. The magic system is unique and taught through characters learning about it, again avoiding walls of exposition. The characters are flawed in ways that make them feel real. They are written in consistent ways that make sense with their characterization. When they act, it doesn’t feel like it’s out of character, when they speak, or don’t speak, it makes sense. So often when I’m reading I find characters that have been written one way for so long who suddenly change or act in a way that feels confusing and surprising just to move the story along. But I feel like this author wrote their story around the characters, bringing a whole other level to the story. Things feel earned, they make sense.

I digress. I’m going to sum it up with; if you’re queer, neurodivergent, or love fantasy that cares about the characters, you’ll love this. And even if you aren’t any of those things you’ll love it. Great book. Great writing. I can’t wait to obsessively consume every single thing this author has and will put out.

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