What Stood Out : 
 This was an amazing, dense, fantastical, beautiful, and absolutely wonderful fairytale. The story itself is layered, nuanced, interesting, and moving. The storytelling does not let the reader down in the slightest (there are definitely times where an author isn't able to do the material justice; that was so not the case here!) My absolute favorite thing about this book was the magical systems that Naomi Novik created. They were incredibly interesting and had a really unique feel to them. I loved the way that Nieshka could "sense" magic (both hers and others), and the way that she molded her magic to fit theirs. The characterization was also done really well; no character was wholly good or wholly evil. They might have been using evil tactics for a noble purpose, but they were not inherently evil. I also loved the multitude of relationships explored in this novel, and how beautifully complicated they were. Nieshka and Kasia's friendship was a favorite for me; I loved how loyal and caring and genuine they were in their affection towards one another, but also that there was animosity, jealousy, and less than loving feelings. It felt like a very real representation of what it would have been like to be in that situation with a childhood friend. You also have a number of minor characters that are just as interesting as the MCs, which I always appreciate in a book. And then the ending of this book, when everything comes together? Let's talk about pitch-perfect perfection. *sigh* <3 
 What I Wanted : 
 Ok, I feel like this is where I need to play the black sheep card. I just didn't really feel The Dragon or his characer 79% of the time. I mainly loved him because of how Nieshka felt for him, and not for his character itself. THAT BEING SAID, that scene, y'all. THAT SCENE. <3 <3