I was prepared to give a five star review, but the quality fell apart a bit in Part 2. I adore the world— the Providence Card concept alone is so strong, but then there’s a detailed story and quasi-religious system surrounding the woods, the first king, and magic infections. It’s so fascinating. And that’s without even getting into Elspeth and her compelling relationship with the Nightmare, which is really strong and complex. One of my favorite things about this book is the excerpts from the Old Book of Alders, and the fact that the Nightmare quotes the Book and sometimes makes up his own rhymes. It does a good job if making him mysterious and inaccessible, but not in a pointless way— like he’s clinging on to old memories or incapable of speaking without some riddling. In the second half, I felt that the story leaned more on tropes, or at least felt a little tried. I enjoyed the romance greatly until they actually got together, and then it felt kind of annoying— they were constantly whispering to each other and kissing at inopportune moments, and I just wanted the plot to keep advancing. But I shipped them pretty well overall and I do think their relationship developed the themes of the book— body vs mind, resisting a broken system, etc. Overall, a Really Good Book, and I will be reading the aecond book asap.