This book combines three or four genres that I don't even like! But I absolutely LOVED this book!I fell in love with it so much that sometimes I would just RE-read passages, sentences, pages, sections... just because I couldn't stand to let go of the sublime writing that mesmerized me.I tried to read Bardugo's two series, but I didn't like them and only made it past about page 50 of each first book in the series. **Which makes it even MORE inexplicable as to how much I love this book!I'm finding it hard to write a review to explain WHY you should read it. I can only say BARDUGO'S WRITING STYLE / QUALITY OF WRITING in this book is STELLAR. BEYOND stellar. Beautiful, magical, dark, touching, with little light, funny moments.I'm very picky about writing style and I know I will read this book again in a few years.I could barely put it down and when I finished it, I was sad. NOT because the ending is sad. It's not. But I was sad to let her writing and the characters go. I don't feel this way about books very often.It's magical and wonderful and also dark and sad and SO well-written.Besides her PHENOMENAL writing style... I don't know WHY you should read it...I just know YOU SHOULD!!

This book combines three or four genres that I don't even like! But I absolutely LOVED this book!I fell in love with it so much that sometimes I would just RE-read passages, sentences, pages, sections... just because I couldn't stand to let go of the sublime writing that mesmerized me.I tried to read Bardugo's two series, but I didn't like them and only made it past about page 50 of each first book in the series. **Which makes it even MORE inexplicable as to how much I love this book!I'm finding it hard to write a review to explain WHY you should read it. I can only say BARDUGO'S WRITING STYLE / QUALITY OF WRITING in this book is STELLAR. BEYOND stellar. Beautiful, magical, dark, touching, with little light, funny moments.I'm very picky about writing style and I know I will read this book again in a few years.I could barely put it down and when I finished it, I was sad. NOT because the ending is sad. It's not. But I was sad to let her writing and the characters go. I don't feel this way about books very often.It's magical and wonderful and also dark and sad and SO well-written.Besides her PHENOMENAL writing style... I don't know WHY you should read it...I just know YOU SHOULD!!

This book combines three or four genres that I don't even like! But I absolutely LOVED this book!I fell in love with it so much that sometimes I would just RE-read passages, sentences, pages, sections... just because I couldn't stand to let go of the sublime writing that mesmerized me.I tried to read Bardugo's two series, but I didn't like them and only made it past about page 50 of each first book in the series. **Which makes it even MORE inexplicable as to how much I love this book!I'm finding it hard to write a review to explain WHY you should read it. I can only say BARDUGO'S WRITING STYLE / QUALITY OF WRITING in this book is STELLAR. BEYOND stellar. Beautiful, magical, dark, touching, with little light, funny moments.I'm very picky about writing style and I know I will read this book again in a few years.I could barely put it down and when I finished it, I was sad. NOT because the ending is sad. It's not. But I was sad to let her writing and the characters go. I don't feel this way about books very often.It's magical and wonderful and also dark and sad and SO well-written.Besides her PHENOMENAL writing style... I don't know WHY you should read it...I just know YOU SHOULD!!

I really enjoy books which feel complete in their world. We're in 16th century Spain, in a world where magic is real, and every tiny detail just felt grounded and solid. I believed in this world completely.I also loved the story. Luzia was such an unusual and compelling heroine. The details of her servitude and her ambition and her life story were just fascinating. Even lesser characters were fully fleshed out and three dimensional.I gulped it down quickly but will return for a slower reread to savor the wonderful sentences. A rare find. Happy to recommend.

I really enjoy books which feel complete in their world. We're in 16th century Spain, in a world where magic is real, and every tiny detail just felt grounded and solid. I believed in this world completely.I also loved the story. Luzia was such an unusual and compelling heroine. The details of her servitude and her ambition and her life story were just fascinating. Even lesser characters were fully fleshed out and three dimensional.I gulped it down quickly but will return for a slower reread to savor the wonderful sentences. A rare find. Happy to recommend.