This book ensorcelled me, but I want to talk about the end.

This is going to be a short review.

Mostly because I don’t know how to convey how much I sunk into this book while reading it. Everything about it–the language, the characters, the mythology–wrapped little story claws around my mind and didn’t let me go until I finished it.

Laini Taylor is just so good at creating atmosphere in her stories. It’s one of the reasons I will read anything she decides to write.

The other reason this is going to be short is that this book needs to be experienced as spoiler free as possible. I had so much fun not knowing (for the most part) where it was going to go. I don’t mind being spoiled normally (sometimes I even spoil myself on purpose to increase anticipation or alleviate stress), but here I really think being unspoiled drastically increased my enjoyment.

I’m giving this book five stars because of how much I enjoyed the experience of reading it, but I will admit that I have some reservations about the ending. Maybe reservations is a bad word. I’m actually still not sure how I feel about it (specifically SPOILERS Lazlo’s true identity END SPOILERS). Also, it ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, so if you’re averse to those, I’d suggest waiting for the second (and last) book in the duology. I think I’m going to wait and see how the ending of this book plays out in the ending of the story before I decide how I feel about it.