What a curious book. I’ve read some other “dark academia” books and some I’ve enjoyed where others dragged. This one fell somewhere in the middle. The story moved, the characters were vibrant, but the world building was a little slow for me. I spent the bulk of this book attempting to identify and remember all the rules of the magic. Trying to explain it, I ended up comparing it to Harry Potter houses, and even that did not fully clear it up. I’m hoping future books will help smooth out some of the edges in this world.

There are two POVs in this book, which quickly shows you how the love triangle is going to shake out. The descriptions the characters use for each other is pure poetry. Not to mention the descriptions of the landscape. Have you ever looked at a picture of a lighthouse with the waves crashing up around it? That is how this book made me feel; alive, battered by a storm, and maybe a bit chilly.