This was a 5 star book until the ending. Huge spoilers follow that you won't understand until you read the book... and that will likely ruin the book should you decide to read it. So... fair warning. 
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 1. I wanted to know what would happen if they changed the tattoos and used more than just a drop of blood in them. I really expected that this would be a clever way to bring down the regime, to be able to use Etan to "get on the inside" of Count Karan's mind and influence changes in that way. 
 2. The petty jealousies of his sister Isadel were predictable and I didn't think were necessary. Tension in the book needed to come from somewhere else to really feel like tension. Since we all knew Isadel was almost finished with her Adornment, we knew that Etan was not going to really have to deal with her for much longer. This just felt contrived to me. Maybe it was to give Isadel character growth as the book goes on? I don't know, but - to me - it just didn't feel right. 
 3. Why, why would you have your MC face down the antagonist of the book, Count Karan, only to have him NOT deal with him at all. Then the Count dies off page in a very anti-climatic way? I didn't really feel like I had any closure! 
 4. The burning of Etan, I could predict that it would happen the minute they didn't leave AS SOON AS THEY POSSIBLY COULD. I wanted the SMACK them, both (and then the author)! I'm pretty sure the rich know, THE WORLD OVER, that you protect yourself in times of regime change - especially if that regime has been taking advantage of the less well-to-do. You KNOW you'll be a target. Your house will be a target - for looting if nothing else! Just... gah... the whole last of the book just didn't need to happen. It didn't make me appreciate them finding one another all broken a year later- It didn't make me appreciate Tallisk's acceptance of Etan's marred form. It was completely cliche for me; he'd have been an unsympathetic asshole had he rejected Etan and it was clear the author wanted him sympathetic. 
 I just... I wanted a better ending. *sniffles* 
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