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sylvilel's review against another edition
3.0
I’m really very happily surprised about this.
Owlcrate has been doing overall much of the young-girl-caught-at-court-concept lately. There is always the promise of political conflict and war, but it always falls short, as if the writers are afraid to get their hands fictionally bloody.
But Lyra Selene isn’t afraid to pay the price that revolution costs, and in this story hope and wonder and magic wars with darkness, despair and pain, almost on a psychological level.
The characters and their relations feel pretty authentic. I like that Sylvie is pictured as ambitious and proud without there being made excuses for it. She is angry and she is stubborn and she makes mistakes, with no little consequence.
Selene’s prose is a bit flowery, but I can live with that because the rest is so good. This might actually be a new favorite.
Owlcrate has been doing overall much of the young-girl-caught-at-court-concept lately. There is always the promise of political conflict and war, but it always falls short, as if the writers are afraid to get their hands fictionally bloody.
But Lyra Selene isn’t afraid to pay the price that revolution costs, and in this story hope and wonder and magic wars with darkness, despair and pain, almost on a psychological level.
The characters and their relations feel pretty authentic. I like that Sylvie is pictured as ambitious and proud without there being made excuses for it. She is angry and she is stubborn and she makes mistakes, with no little consequence.
Selene’s prose is a bit flowery, but I can live with that because the rest is so good. This might actually be a new favorite.
k_wage's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
puppiesrcute's review against another edition
It felt super repetitive. The main character is quite unlikable and the plot is too stagnant for my taste
alyssaindira's review against another edition
3.0
*no spoilers were harmed in the making of this review*
"I deserved the chance to find where i belonged"
Hey guys, so I finished Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene. It was...well, it was definitely unique, even if in my opinion, it had some essence of the red queen series. Then again, when you read so many YA books, you are going to start to see at least some similarities amongst them. I mean, I liked this book, well, the general premise and the general plot overall, it's just some of the specific and intricate details,,,,it was...well lets just say I was in for quite the interesting ride with this book. There were the usual twists and turns to this book, and one of the major ones I was like YES. Another of the revelations i was like NO. So i guess I fall somewhere in between in regarding to not liking and loving this book. There were some aspects I loved to this book, some i didn't. For instance, i both liked and disliked the writing. This was the first novel in a series, so i expected some hefty details to explain the world and all that...but i don't think the world was conveyed as clear and concise as it could have been. The details used to describe it, most of the time, were flower metaphors and stuff, like it was tip toeing around describing the world, instead of actually describing it. And really, it didn't really explain the world and all its complexity, not really, just scenes and places. Which are important, but the things of true importance, like the legacies and the court relations and foundations, were passed over, in my opinion. Or maybe i skimmed over where they were explained, if they were, my bad. SO yeah, didn't really enjoy the lengthy, "descriptive" writing. HOwever, within the writing, i did like the concise action/battle scenes. Those were written smoothly and nice, easy to follow, not to jumbled up. The writing in general was also pretty easy to comprehend and read over, so it made for quick absorption of convos. I just wish the legacies, the powers in this book, were more clearly explained and expressed. I really like magic in books, and the magic in this book was good, but it could have been great. Another love hate relation with this book was the romance. OMG, don't even get me started. UGH. OKay, so first we have a perfectly good gentleman, who I LOVED, but the main character..well, didn't. But because of that, i thought she wasn't really gonna...ya know. BUT NOOOOOO. Gods. OKay, fair warning, this book has lots of enemies, and some of those enemies....yeah, you know where i am going. But gods I HATED IT. GAHHH. I just wanna scream. Truly. HOw dare she. HOw dare HE. LIke NO. That male...I just...cant. I mean I semi understand SUnder's background, and whatever, but I just CANT just past his...just...him. NOpe. I can't. After everything he did, how could...I just. I better just shut my mouth before i spoil something. So yes, i didn't like the romance in this book, least not when he was involved. The other dude on the other hand, he was my bae, my baby Luke. But ugh. And DONT even get me started on that half but ending. Are you kidding me??? That is NOT how you end a novel! YOu don't just have all that, then...just...done. ANd have one person almost...without help...I mean, it was so random and abrupt and GAH. THe ending was actually great, the battle and stuff, was amazing! And it was amazing, up until the actual, literal end. SO the beginning of the book was pretty great, the middle of the book was alright, with its ups and downs. Even the end of the book was good, but the end end, no, just no. BUt, the main things i loved in this book were life at court and Sylvie. I loved how it went through Sylvie trying to adjust to court life and learn all the dalliances and etiquette and secrets to court intrigue. I just loved that. I especially love how she worked through her legacy and everything with that. But most importantly, i loved Sylvie as a character. She was so strong, brave, bold, ambition, and just a little cruel and monstrous. SHe was amazing, truly. SHe was so determined, and no matter the obstacles that got in her way, she continued on without looking back. Yes she had her flaws and doubts, but that just made her more realistic. Even her desire to belong and have some sort of status was relatable. She just wanted to find a world where she could fit in and be herself. SHe would find and fight for that world until the bitter end. I love her for that, for not giving up. When things looked down, she didn't quit. She didnt give up on her dreams. She just found a new way to make it a reality. Yes, she was a bit naive and childish at times, but that just helped her character grow and develop and learn throughout the course of this novel. Yes, she went in to the court thinking one thing, to have it flip entirely on her head. But she didn't let that bring her down. She merely just..continued on. I just love her. So yeah...i think i prattled on long enough. remember, this is all my opinion and if you want your own, read the book. Alright, till next time, bye.
"I deserved the chance to find where i belonged"
Hey guys, so I finished Amber & Dusk by Lyra Selene. It was...well, it was definitely unique, even if in my opinion, it had some essence of the red queen series. Then again, when you read so many YA books, you are going to start to see at least some similarities amongst them. I mean, I liked this book, well, the general premise and the general plot overall, it's just some of the specific and intricate details,,,,it was...well lets just say I was in for quite the interesting ride with this book. There were the usual twists and turns to this book, and one of the major ones I was like YES. Another of the revelations i was like NO. So i guess I fall somewhere in between in regarding to not liking and loving this book. There were some aspects I loved to this book, some i didn't. For instance, i both liked and disliked the writing. This was the first novel in a series, so i expected some hefty details to explain the world and all that...but i don't think the world was conveyed as clear and concise as it could have been. The details used to describe it, most of the time, were flower metaphors and stuff, like it was tip toeing around describing the world, instead of actually describing it. And really, it didn't really explain the world and all its complexity, not really, just scenes and places. Which are important, but the things of true importance, like the legacies and the court relations and foundations, were passed over, in my opinion. Or maybe i skimmed over where they were explained, if they were, my bad. SO yeah, didn't really enjoy the lengthy, "descriptive" writing. HOwever, within the writing, i did like the concise action/battle scenes. Those were written smoothly and nice, easy to follow, not to jumbled up. The writing in general was also pretty easy to comprehend and read over, so it made for quick absorption of convos. I just wish the legacies, the powers in this book, were more clearly explained and expressed. I really like magic in books, and the magic in this book was good, but it could have been great. Another love hate relation with this book was the romance. OMG, don't even get me started. UGH. OKay, so first we have a perfectly good gentleman, who I LOVED, but the main character..well, didn't. But because of that, i thought she wasn't really gonna...ya know. BUT NOOOOOO. Gods. OKay, fair warning, this book has lots of enemies, and some of those enemies....yeah, you know where i am going. But gods I HATED IT. GAHHH. I just wanna scream. Truly. HOw dare she. HOw dare HE. LIke NO. That male...I just...cant. I mean I semi understand SUnder's background, and whatever, but I just CANT just past his...just...him. NOpe. I can't. After everything he did, how could...I just. I better just shut my mouth before i spoil something. So yes, i didn't like the romance in this book, least not when he was involved. The other dude on the other hand, he was my bae, my baby Luke. But ugh. And DONT even get me started on that half but ending. Are you kidding me??? That is NOT how you end a novel! YOu don't just have all that, then...just...done. ANd have one person almost...without help...I mean, it was so random and abrupt and GAH. THe ending was actually great, the battle and stuff, was amazing! And it was amazing, up until the actual, literal end. SO the beginning of the book was pretty great, the middle of the book was alright, with its ups and downs. Even the end of the book was good, but the end end, no, just no. BUt, the main things i loved in this book were life at court and Sylvie. I loved how it went through Sylvie trying to adjust to court life and learn all the dalliances and etiquette and secrets to court intrigue. I just loved that. I especially love how she worked through her legacy and everything with that. But most importantly, i loved Sylvie as a character. She was so strong, brave, bold, ambition, and just a little cruel and monstrous. SHe was amazing, truly. SHe was so determined, and no matter the obstacles that got in her way, she continued on without looking back. Yes she had her flaws and doubts, but that just made her more realistic. Even her desire to belong and have some sort of status was relatable. She just wanted to find a world where she could fit in and be herself. SHe would find and fight for that world until the bitter end. I love her for that, for not giving up. When things looked down, she didn't quit. She didnt give up on her dreams. She just found a new way to make it a reality. Yes, she was a bit naive and childish at times, but that just helped her character grow and develop and learn throughout the course of this novel. Yes, she went in to the court thinking one thing, to have it flip entirely on her head. But she didn't let that bring her down. She merely just..continued on. I just love her. So yeah...i think i prattled on long enough. remember, this is all my opinion and if you want your own, read the book. Alright, till next time, bye.
madianderson49's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
books4susie's review against another edition
3.0
More like 3.5 stars
Was this the best fantasy book I’ve ever read? No, but it wasn’t the worst. This book started off slow for me with all of the worldbuilding. I did find Sylvie to be a great character who knew what she wanted and didn’t back down or give up, no matter how many times someone told her that she should leave. It took a while for her to open her eyes to what was going on.
The author has loosely based the court of the Amber Empire on French King Louis XIV. Once the truth about Sylvie came to light, I was ready to finish the book to see how it ended,
Was this the best fantasy book I’ve ever read? No, but it wasn’t the worst. This book started off slow for me with all of the worldbuilding. I did find Sylvie to be a great character who knew what she wanted and didn’t back down or give up, no matter how many times someone told her that she should leave. It took a while for her to open her eyes to what was going on.
The author has loosely based the court of the Amber Empire on French King Louis XIV. Once the truth about Sylvie came to light, I was ready to finish the book to see how it ended,
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
There was a lot to love about this unique fantasy. I found myself engrossed in its world of perpetual daylight!
What Fed My Addiction:
Lyrical writing.
This is a lush fantasy, filled with lavish sights and spectacular magic, and Selene’s writing style works perfectly for this genre. (In her Goodreads review of her own book, she says she writes what she loves to read: “Prose that tastes like sugared secrets.” That should give you a good idea of what to expect.) I love this type of writing.
The worldbuilding.
Selene did a fantastic job with the worldbuilding in this book. We are introduced to a unique new world with a lot of complex elements, but it never feels too overwhelming. I felt like I could picture most of the world in beautiful detail, and I loved the magical system. The book features a unique mythology that Selene created just for this world (you can read more about it HERE), and I love the way that she weaves that mythology into the story in multiple ways.
A likable/unlikable narrator.
Sylvie is the sort of character who manages to be both likable and unlikable at the same time. She’s ambitious and impetuous and a little full of herself, but we can see her vulnerabilities as well. It’s easy to see why she’s turned out the way she is, and we can sometimes cringe at her failings right along with her. Even though I didn’t always like her, I was still always rooting for her.
Wonderful secondary characters.
I loved most of the characters in this book. From the romantic interest to the mentor to the frinds that help Sylvie find her way, they were all engaging and intriguing!
The possibility of more? While this book is certainly fine as a standalone, I couldn’t help but think there might be room for more. I’m hoping to hear news of a sequel.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Slight lull in middle.
A lot of the middle of the book is just Sylvie waiting for something to happen. She’s learning to wield her power and waiting to show it to the queen. During this period, Sylvie learns a lot about the people around her, but nothing very active happens. I wish there had been a bit more plot development in this part of the book.
A stunning debut fantasy, Amber & Dusk will sweep you away to a world of dreams (and nightmares).
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via The Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
There was a lot to love about this unique fantasy. I found myself engrossed in its world of perpetual daylight!
What Fed My Addiction:
Lyrical writing.
This is a lush fantasy, filled with lavish sights and spectacular magic, and Selene’s writing style works perfectly for this genre. (In her Goodreads review of her own book, she says she writes what she loves to read: “Prose that tastes like sugared secrets.” That should give you a good idea of what to expect.) I love this type of writing.
The worldbuilding.
Selene did a fantastic job with the worldbuilding in this book. We are introduced to a unique new world with a lot of complex elements, but it never feels too overwhelming. I felt like I could picture most of the world in beautiful detail, and I loved the magical system. The book features a unique mythology that Selene created just for this world (you can read more about it HERE), and I love the way that she weaves that mythology into the story in multiple ways.
A likable/unlikable narrator.
Sylvie is the sort of character who manages to be both likable and unlikable at the same time. She’s ambitious and impetuous and a little full of herself, but we can see her vulnerabilities as well. It’s easy to see why she’s turned out the way she is, and we can sometimes cringe at her failings right along with her. Even though I didn’t always like her, I was still always rooting for her.
Wonderful secondary characters.
I loved most of the characters in this book. From the romantic interest to the mentor to the frinds that help Sylvie find her way, they were all engaging and intriguing!
The possibility of more? While this book is certainly fine as a standalone, I couldn’t help but think there might be room for more. I’m hoping to hear news of a sequel.
What Left Me Hungry for More:
Slight lull in middle.
A lot of the middle of the book is just Sylvie waiting for something to happen. She’s learning to wield her power and waiting to show it to the queen. During this period, Sylvie learns a lot about the people around her, but nothing very active happens. I wish there had been a bit more plot development in this part of the book.
A stunning debut fantasy, Amber & Dusk will sweep you away to a world of dreams (and nightmares).
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via The Fantastic Flying Book Club in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
aobenstine's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars This was a fun read! I can't say I was surprised by anything but happened though.
jecinwv's review against another edition
3.0
Amber and Dusk is a book I acquired in January. I stopped early in and didn't pick it up again until last week. I feel this book has a lot of good potential. The story and the plot are wonderfully crafted. The characters sometimes lack something to be desired but they all play their parts. The characters are quite kind for people who at times view themselves as monsters. I wanted more back story for the characters of the Amber Empire. The story line does not disappoint. There are many plot twists. I suggest this to anyone who likes rags to riches tales or stories about royalty. Sylvie, the main character, is strong and aims to find her way. No one can stop her.
ryrichard28's review against another edition
4.0
Preface:
While I have some complaints about the heroine, I absolutely LOVED this book. Political scheming, a damaged antihero, and twists in the story combined to slingshot me through this novel. I’m officially willing to devour whatever this author will write next.
The plot:
The story is full of politics, scheming, and secrets, and an evil empress who uses her court as her own personal Mean Girls Coliseum. The people around Sylvie are miserable, but she’s like a cult victim, and completely naïve to how evil the Amber Empress is. Sylvie spends most of the story focused on cultivating her ability and confused about the drama unfolding around her.
Sylvie: the heroine?
She’s ambitious, and oh so entitled. She’s not the most perceptive heroine either, as she just doesn’t get what’s going on around her. She wheedles her way into the palais so that she’ll be with other people like her, motivated to learn about her ability while being surrounded by luxury. She’s conveniently blind to the fact that her new place serving the Empress is basically a life of slavery. She’s like Katniss, but selfish — “I volunteer as tribute! But only because I belong with the other victors. You can dress me in Swarovski now! (But I’ll address the maids by their real names so you know I’m not evil.)”
The girl doesn’t notice that she’s willingly placed her head directly into the lion’s mouth. When reading the synopsis, I got the impression that Sylvie is astute, and trying to work out the mystery of the place she’s at. But she’s dense and doesn’t ask questions, admires the villain and distrusts the hero, and spends a good deal of time talking herself out of the truth.
Multiple opportunities for improvement:
She wants so badly to belong somewhere. But when she’s presented with that opportunity in the beginning, she gives it up in order to be with others like her in a life of privilege. A sense of belonging isn’t the only thing she’s after. She’s ambitious, and is resentful of her humble origins as a poor orphan. And she feels sorry for herself because of everything she’s been through, which is annoying. It really makes me question whether she’s truly heroine material. The girl has flaws up the wazoo.
And yet, as the story progresses, more of the typical OG heroine traits emerge. She gets angry at injustice and motivated to take action. She evolves, making her a much less annoying protag after some time investment. In fact, I actually began to like the things I initially complained about. She’s not Snow White, all purity and altruism. At first glance, she could even have what it takes to be a villain. But by the end, I was loving that she wasn’t your basic heroine mould. She’s got darkness to her. And she is indeed a heroine by the end, albeit a complex one.
Sunder: either the antihero or the villain (place your bets!):
Sunder enters the scene as an antagonist. He steps up to sponsor her, but in a way that it makes it seem like he’s rooting for her to fail. But still, he steps up and makes it possible for her to stay at the palais. He “saves the cat,” so to speak. “Saving the cat” refers to the mechanism used by writers of introducing a person as a protagonist. The hero shows himself as a hero by saving a cat from a tree, signifying that he’s a “good guy.” Sunder’s intro is very “save the cat”ish, and it had me doubting throughout the book whether he was a villain because I had that moment stuck in my head. He has several moments where his actions seem negative, but are they really? That game of villain vs antihero is played throughout the novel, and we do get our answer by the end.
His personality:
He’s dark, damaged, and wears a cloak of cockiness to mask his vulnerabilities. It’s an attractive recipe that’s been used frequently, but it works. Hence its frequent use. Our inner heroine wants to rescue him from himself, pat him on the head, and tell him he’s worthy. I love this character, and he ended up being my favorite one to follow. I cared more about his story than Sylvie’s.
PS, the synopsis implies that Sunder isn’t forthcoming with answers, but he is when she finally starts asking.
Supporting characters:
Luca — the best friend. Beautiful and clearly in love with Sylvie. He’s sunshine personified.
Severine — the Amber Empress. The evil “it girl.” The end.
Dowser — trains Sylvie how to use her ability. Secretive about his past and what he knows of Sylvie’s history. Father figure.
Lullaby — reluctant ally of Sylvie. Trains her in etiquette. Damaged by her time in the Amber Empress’ court.
Takeaways:
There’s commentary on how trials throughout life and enduring pain can lead to strength and transcendence compared to living on Easy Street. Trials build character.
To build something beautiful — a life, a society — loss is inevitable. The concept of breaking the world to create a new one makes an appearance.
The theme of making your dreams into reality is central. The protag’s power is illusion, and it ties into displaying her dreams for others to see.
Pitfalls:
Elaboration on people’s abilities comes late. The whole time I’m wondering what exactly Reaper can do (ps, it’s not what I thought at all).
Maids are introduced in the beginning, seemingly set up as characters, but are forgotten after the intro. They’ve got names, personalities, and then whoosh, they’re gone. I mean, I didn’t really care about them, but when they resurface towards the end, it’s just a bit jarring.
Tropes:
Sylvie is basically the chosen one trope. Little orphan that’s destined for more.
There’s also a love triangle that’s not really a triangle but more of a misdirect. There’s really only one true love interest, though I can see Selene potentially employing another misdirect in the sequel with the other dude.
Ultimately:
It feels unfinished, so I can’t see this as a standalone. There are a couple cliffhangers. I don’t know where it’s heading, but I’m definitely in for the next one! It was a breeze to get through, and addicting enough that I ended up carrying it around with me on my errands for those spare seconds in between tasks when I could read a few sentences at a time.
PS: a big thanks to Scholastic for sending me an ARC!
While I have some complaints about the heroine, I absolutely LOVED this book. Political scheming, a damaged antihero, and twists in the story combined to slingshot me through this novel. I’m officially willing to devour whatever this author will write next.
The plot:
The story is full of politics, scheming, and secrets, and an evil empress who uses her court as her own personal Mean Girls Coliseum. The people around Sylvie are miserable, but she’s like a cult victim, and completely naïve to how evil the Amber Empress is. Sylvie spends most of the story focused on cultivating her ability and confused about the drama unfolding around her.
Sylvie: the heroine?
She’s ambitious, and oh so entitled. She’s not the most perceptive heroine either, as she just doesn’t get what’s going on around her. She wheedles her way into the palais so that she’ll be with other people like her, motivated to learn about her ability while being surrounded by luxury. She’s conveniently blind to the fact that her new place serving the Empress is basically a life of slavery. She’s like Katniss, but selfish — “I volunteer as tribute! But only because I belong with the other victors. You can dress me in Swarovski now! (But I’ll address the maids by their real names so you know I’m not evil.)”
The girl doesn’t notice that she’s willingly placed her head directly into the lion’s mouth. When reading the synopsis, I got the impression that Sylvie is astute, and trying to work out the mystery of the place she’s at. But she’s dense and doesn’t ask questions, admires the villain and distrusts the hero, and spends a good deal of time talking herself out of the truth.
Multiple opportunities for improvement:
She wants so badly to belong somewhere. But when she’s presented with that opportunity in the beginning, she gives it up in order to be with others like her in a life of privilege. A sense of belonging isn’t the only thing she’s after. She’s ambitious, and is resentful of her humble origins as a poor orphan. And she feels sorry for herself because of everything she’s been through, which is annoying. It really makes me question whether she’s truly heroine material. The girl has flaws up the wazoo.
And yet, as the story progresses, more of the typical OG heroine traits emerge. She gets angry at injustice and motivated to take action. She evolves, making her a much less annoying protag after some time investment. In fact, I actually began to like the things I initially complained about. She’s not Snow White, all purity and altruism. At first glance, she could even have what it takes to be a villain. But by the end, I was loving that she wasn’t your basic heroine mould. She’s got darkness to her. And she is indeed a heroine by the end, albeit a complex one.
Sunder: either the antihero or the villain (place your bets!):
Sunder enters the scene as an antagonist. He steps up to sponsor her, but in a way that it makes it seem like he’s rooting for her to fail. But still, he steps up and makes it possible for her to stay at the palais. He “saves the cat,” so to speak. “Saving the cat” refers to the mechanism used by writers of introducing a person as a protagonist. The hero shows himself as a hero by saving a cat from a tree, signifying that he’s a “good guy.” Sunder’s intro is very “save the cat”ish, and it had me doubting throughout the book whether he was a villain because I had that moment stuck in my head. He has several moments where his actions seem negative, but are they really? That game of villain vs antihero is played throughout the novel, and we do get our answer by the end.
His personality:
He’s dark, damaged, and wears a cloak of cockiness to mask his vulnerabilities. It’s an attractive recipe that’s been used frequently, but it works. Hence its frequent use. Our inner heroine wants to rescue him from himself, pat him on the head, and tell him he’s worthy. I love this character, and he ended up being my favorite one to follow. I cared more about his story than Sylvie’s.
PS, the synopsis implies that Sunder isn’t forthcoming with answers, but he is when she finally starts asking.
Supporting characters:
Luca — the best friend. Beautiful and clearly in love with Sylvie. He’s sunshine personified.
Severine — the Amber Empress. The evil “it girl.” The end.
Dowser — trains Sylvie how to use her ability. Secretive about his past and what he knows of Sylvie’s history. Father figure.
Lullaby — reluctant ally of Sylvie. Trains her in etiquette. Damaged by her time in the Amber Empress’ court.
Takeaways:
There’s commentary on how trials throughout life and enduring pain can lead to strength and transcendence compared to living on Easy Street. Trials build character.
To build something beautiful — a life, a society — loss is inevitable. The concept of breaking the world to create a new one makes an appearance.
The theme of making your dreams into reality is central. The protag’s power is illusion, and it ties into displaying her dreams for others to see.
Pitfalls:
Elaboration on people’s abilities comes late. The whole time I’m wondering what exactly Reaper can do (ps, it’s not what I thought at all).
Maids are introduced in the beginning, seemingly set up as characters, but are forgotten after the intro. They’ve got names, personalities, and then whoosh, they’re gone. I mean, I didn’t really care about them, but when they resurface towards the end, it’s just a bit jarring.
Tropes:
Sylvie is basically the chosen one trope. Little orphan that’s destined for more.
There’s also a love triangle that’s not really a triangle but more of a misdirect. There’s really only one true love interest, though I can see Selene potentially employing another misdirect in the sequel with the other dude.
Ultimately:
It feels unfinished, so I can’t see this as a standalone. There are a couple cliffhangers. I don’t know where it’s heading, but I’m definitely in for the next one! It was a breeze to get through, and addicting enough that I ended up carrying it around with me on my errands for those spare seconds in between tasks when I could read a few sentences at a time.
PS: a big thanks to Scholastic for sending me an ARC!