I wasn't sure how I was going to react to Sybella's story. 
 But I was drawn in from the start. It picks up with a little overlap from Grave Mercy, and then continues on space. We even get the return of an old friend I didn't expect to see (though I should have). 
 For most of the novel we are further away from the political intrigue than with Grave Mercy. I missed it, but LaFevers offered such a rich tale I couldn't be mad about it. 
 The emotional honesty of the piece carries a lot of weight with me. LaFevers gets the shades of gray right. She doesn't try to simplify complicated issues or complicated characters. We get more of the friendship development that I wanted from Grave Mercy. I wish the relationship build in this had been a little more nuanced, but that's a small thing. 
 This series is great, and I can't wait to see what the end brings.