I wrote an entire spoiler-y review in my notes app, but it was so long that I felt insane so here’s my toned down review. I didn’t feel like the parts (like characters, world building, magic, etc) of this story worked together. Maybe it was just too many smaller plot points to juggle, and at the end I was left feeling like the plot I was promised had not been utilized to its full potential.
Here are the things I would’ve found super interesting if they were given more weight: the process that went into polishing the game so that it would be more efficient in breaking the curse, the partnering-up and what working together looks like for the rulers, the incredible age differences between rulers and how it changes how they interact with one another, the fact that the history of lightlark has been hidden to the point where the curse could never have been lifted, Isla being trained in “persuasion” from such a young age (and the clothes they make her wear), the magic system, the fact that Grim could literally take people’s memories, and their fact that Isla has literally been living a lie basically her entire life.