At first I was really confused, but then I just embraced the confusion and enjoyed myself. And I finally found a F/F book that worked for me. I was starting to think I was defective, because I’ve always thought a romance is just a romance so it shouldn’t matter. I think my issue is more with YA contemporary in general. But my self-discoveries are not what this review is about.
First, let’s talk about my confusion. This doesn’t hold your hand with the world building. Or maybe I’m not the brightest. As I continued I definitely understood more about the social structures. I also now understand more about why it was written the way it was. I’m really trying to avoid spoilers here.
Nirrim was a little hard to connect with, but I think that’s on purpose. She’s the narrator, but also is kind of closed off from even herschel. She’s been emotionally manipulated her whole life, so naturally she has to protect herself somehow. It is a risky choice to make for your protagonist, but I appreciate it. And I’m definitely interested to see how she changes in the next one.
Then, there’s the romance. I really liked the chemistry between Nirrim and Sid. The attraction jumps off the page. But the “L” bombs came a little too fast for me. Maybe I just need Nirrim to work through some of her personal stuff first. It wasn’t completely insta-love or a deal breaker, but a little annoying.
I have a lot of questions and am really excited to read the next one. Unfortunately, I have to wait. I already had a slight desire to re-read The Winner’s Curse trilogy, but now I really want to. I don’t know how related they’ll be, but I want to try and find all the connections.
Thanks for reading!
Holly