First and foremost while I enjoyed the story I must say I was heavily captivated by the authors writing. I was immersed with her descriptions and felt that her prose made the world and setting all the more real. While I did the audio version of the book, I think this will also translate to the page. As for the story itself, I found myself having a great time. For being a stand alone it’s packed with world-building without feeling overwhelming. Its inclusion of Hungarian + Jewish history and mythology was particularly interesting to me as I’m not very familiar with either. I liked the conflict and political intrigue but unfortunately felt that it was wrapped up too soon and too easily. Wished it could have been stretched out a bit more to reach a satisfactory climax. I enjoyed our two main characters and their dynamic. The romance definitely takes second place to the larger political plot, and I honestly I could have gone without it entirely. At times it felt forced and/or unnecessary, particularly with how it ends. Overall, I think this was a strong debut and I look forward to other works by this author.