This is a witty, light-hearted, romantic romp, with decidedly dark undertones. The determinedly upbeat main character, Wei Wuxian, means that you rarely focus in depth on the heavier subject materials, and as a result the implications are often more chilling. The somewhat non-chronological story-telling allows the world-building to be filled in as the plot rattles along, and both the world and the characters feel extremely realised. Waiting excitedly for volume two!