Welcome to Litsy!

Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland‘s YA fantasy romance (the first in a series) is a solidly constructed enemies-to-lovers story with thoughtful (if generic) world building including an interesting mythology based around magical beasts. However the pacing, for me, was uneven with the authors focusing largely on set-up so that the story doesn‘t really get going until the final quarter, although it does set up an intriguing premise for the sequel.

Some parts of the book I liked, but the majority I did not. I don't really know what the point of the story was. It might have just been setting the stage for the next book. I didn't really care about the characters, therefore I didn't care about what was going on. The story focused a lot on the political aspects of the world, which might interest some people, but it's not something I particularly care for. I was bored the whole time.

This book has all the promising features of a YA fantasy novel: a slow burn romance, intense fight scenes, and political intrigue. While I absolutely loved most of the book, the ending left a lot to be desired. Basically, the ending felt very unfinished to me.
That being said, there were so many elements that I adored! The different houses were fun, and the prophetic element added a unique sense of mystery. The romance that develops is cute.