I love that this book leans fully into its zany worldbuilding. I wasn't too sure about it at first, but it didn't take too long to convince me. The way the author introduces the worldbuilding bit by bit, slowly layering it in, is done with a lot of care, and for me, a lot of success. I also always enjoy when magical worldbuilding, social worldbuilding, and the actual plot all collide as we accumulate information throughout a story, which this book certainly does. The worldbuilding might be a bit much for some, but for me, it landed well.

The character work was also done quite well--Ilis felt deep, and she is dealing with a lot of inner turmoil that I think would have come across as melodrama in the hand of a lesser author. Her conflicts felt weighty without being overbearing, and important without taking over the book. There was also a lot of internal movement within Ilis, which gave the emotional narrative some great texture. It added to both her authenticity and development as a person.

I also quite like this author's writing style. The prose was consistently fun to read, which is always a definite benefit to a story.