This was a great start to the duology. The world building was clear and the characters so well developed. I’m just glad I don’t have to wait for the second book to come out because that was quite the cliffhanger! I can tell the author took the time to develop this story. The care and attention she gave to the characters and their roles to the story is evident and I really appreciate that. This, my friends, is how you write a gothic fantasy romance.