I bought this book approximately 100 years ago. Okay, this summer, but still. I was so anxious to get my hands on this book. And then it sat in my TBR forever. Forever I say. And the only explanation for why I have is that I have a horrible habit of buying books, and then reading library books first because I only have them for a limited time. And I'm really good at the library. 
 By this point, most of you probably know the deal with this one. Laia's grandparents are killed, and her brother captured by by the Martial Empire. When she goes to the resistance for help, they want her to show her use too. And they place her as a spy amidst the academy that trains the Masks, the faceless soldiers of the Empire. Never mind that no spy has successfully survived this assignment. Elias is training to be a mask; he is at the top of his class. He is also planning to leave, despite the dangers if he is caught. But then he is named as one of four to compete to be the new emperor, and he has been assured these trials are way for him to gain his freedom. 
 People have been crazy about this book. And having seen the author speak this summer, I know a lot of time went into this. And she was inspired to pen it as a journalist writing on the atrocities going on in the wider world, the kind that most don't devote all that much time and energy too. The kind that were slowly draining her. 
 This is a great book, although not as revolutionary as I was expecting. Still, the writing is stellar. If some of the turns feel familiar, they don't feel cheap or too weighed down by tropes. That's just the way the story was going to go. And the pacing is great. This book moves fast, part of the reason people clamored for a sequel. 
 But yeah, I liked these characters. I was invested in them. These characters are tough. And their toughness is proved by their actions. Yes, they have the internal dialogue as well. But I often get frustrated with novels where the internal dialogue is supposed to establish the character for me, and they spend so much time in their own heads. And the action never matches up. This is not the case here. Laia and Elias are deep, intriguing characters. 
 The world felt familiar to me, but also distinct. If you like dystopias, but also like historical fiction, this would be right up your alley. 
 Review on Tea and Tomes