I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this, and I actually found Peeraphan (“Punch”) to be a fun and compelling protagonist with a healthy amount of agency and a lot of strength. I just wish Piper J. Drake had focused more on in-depth world-building instead of throwing a bunch of facts at the reader; the writing feels obtuse in some of its descriptions, and I feel like I didn't fully grasp the history or lore This description also applies to the romance, which starts quickly and feels lackluster; I found myself skimming the steamier scenes, and the culmination feels rushed.

Again, if the writing had been more effective, this would feel like a more promising start to a new series based in Thai mythology and folklore.