This was not what I expected it to be!
I’m always hesitant to try period pieces because I feel like there are aspects to reading them that books set in the present day don’t have. For example, I don’t know any of the stuff they talk about in this book concerning European politics. Granted, I didn’t HAVE to know about those things to enjoy the book, but it was a little bit frustrating.
The MC in the book was a strong, clever young woman with a tragic past and complex ways of thinking. I liked her character as a whole but didn’t feel like she developed much throughout the novel. Additionally, it seemed like three different guys crushing on her or being crushed on to some extent, which is meh to begin with but even more confusing in this book given the… circumstances of some of the guys.
I liked the book and thought its alchemical plot was an interesting one, even if it took a questionable turn toward the end.