Very reminiscent of “For the Throne,” but not quite as well executed. 

The magic system is so unique and Gillig did a great job with her world building. The characters use “trees” as a curse word, which was such a fun touch for a fantasy world with a cursed forest. 

I like a vulnerable heroine, one whose strength evolves over the series, but I was really unimpressed by Elspeth.

She was constantly complaining about the Nightmare in her head (valid), but at the first whiff of trouble she was screaming for his help. And then went right back to whining about him. It could have just been the voice the narrator chose to use for Elspeth, but she was just an endlessly whiny baby.

Gillig’s debut definitely had promise—the world was interesting and grounded, the magic system was interesting, and the plot was great. But her characters (her many, many main characters) were so flat that it ultimately fell short in my eyes.