4.5/5 stars

What a book! My first one by Traci Chee and I'm thoroughly impressed.

Our protagonist Miuko is someone I instantly connected to. She’s clumsy and loud, uncertain of her purpose in life. When she gets turned into a demon her world is turned upside down. Her only family fears her, everyone hates her and she doesn’t want this power of a death demon. Or does she? I love how we see Miuko conflicted between going back to her agreeable old self in a society where women have no power versus having infinite power to draw on but becoming a soulless demon. I think the book brilliantly executes themes of misogyny in a patriarchal society where women are suppressed and the only women with power (mostly demons) are feared and shunned.

Also, let me make it clear that I STAN GEIKI. He’s the most adorable sidekick you could ever want. Mischievous, loyal, lover of all things shiny; Geiki is just a joy to read about and I loved the banter between him and Miuko. The rest of the cast was also quite fleshed out and every creature or person we encounter was honestly a pleasure to read about.

But I think the main element that drew me in was the enchanting worldbuilding. It’s so very easy to slip into the world of Awara and find yourself immersed in everything. There are some very handy footnotes as well as notes for pronunciation so it’ really easy for the reader to just dive into this world.

You can check out the full review for this book on my blog.

Note: I was sent an e-arc of this book in exchange for a review. All my opinions are honest and unbiased.