This is one of those books where you can tell how deeply connected the author was with her characters. They each had their own motivations and worked well together. I was particularly impressed with the romance; it was just what I had been craving. I'm so greedy for fluff and was spoiled rotten by these girls. They were so perfect and sweet - it was quite a treat and brought life to the journey. (view spoiler)[The short story at the end served a great purpose to update on the situation keeping Kaede and Taisin apart, though it was also sad that there was never really a conclusion for them. A part of me is bothered by this ...but another part has accepted that this was just how it had to be and that there is beauty knowing that Kaede would prefer to be alone if she can't have Taisin. ...I'm so torn on this! (hide spoiler)] 
 The setting was also a strong aspect of this novel; I particularly enjoyed how there was an Asian influence mixed with fae. They blended so nicely and just enriched the details further. (It was nice being able to re-enter the world created for Ash, but each book can be read separately.) The political structure was well ironed, yet not too heavy; it strung the plot together without getting overly complicated. 
 I adore the author's gently poetic usage of language; beautiful and only adds flavor to the story. The imagery is consistently stunning throughout Malinda Lo's works. The pacing felt a little unbalanced at points (wish we could see more of Taninli and what happens to the state of the world afterwards), but it always managed to hold interest.