Slow burn was right. wowza. The world building continues to be top tier as it's just days that go by in the 600 pages that is this book. But boy oh boy was Diem frustrating at times, like she couldn't make up her mind in a majority of the book. The ending tho was not expected at all.
I think my favorite part in the book is when Sorae really tried to get Diem to wear something different to the funeral. But since Sorae is a gryvern, she doesn't really talk. Jmoonjones did the cutest cartoon of this interaction.

we are not born in the flames, we are revealed - Luther