4.5 Stars 
 This book was actually much better than I expected. It had the potential to be a gory, violent, creepy book. It's Phantom of the Opera in a slaughterhouse. I expected it to be one of those don't-read-at-night books. 
 But it wasn't. And that's not a bad thing. 
 There was blood, and there was gore, sure. But not as much as you'd expect. It's not overly graphic or violent. Part of this is because of our heroine, Wen's, point of view. As the daughter of the slaughterhouse's doctor, she's very practical and professional when it comes to blood and guts. As a heroine, she was great. Not too timid that she can't stand up for herself, but not unrealistically daring, and not without her character flaws. 
 The story flowed along smoothly. There was never a point where I thought that the story was getting boring. There was never a point where I stopped to criticize how a character acted or how an event unfolded or how something was written. I was able to just sit back and enjoy the read, which is getting rarer and rarer nowadays. It was much appreciated. 
 The only reason I didn't give this book a full 5 stars was because, while I couldn't find any fault with the book, it fell just short of the wow factor. I don't know why. I just didn't have that empty feeling upon finishing it like I do with my favorite books, where I feel desperate to get back into the characters' worlds. Regardless, it was still a great book, and one of my favorites that I've read this year. I've heard mention of a sequel, and I'm excited for it. 
 TLDR: Phantom of the Opera. In a slaughterhouse. With a steampunk flair. Do want.