There were a lot of elements about this novel that I liked and I think that Bardugo is certainly capable of creating a compelling narrative, but I think this work fell short on a couple of fronts for me. The historical setting was a really creative backdrop, but I feel like the author didn’t put much work into developing the world besides telling us where it’s set and periodically reminding us throughout the plot. Guillén was a really intriguing character, but I thought the romance lacked chemistry. The pacing of the second half of the novel was a little slow compared to the development of the first half.