This was a fantastic modern fantasy. I enjoyed the twists, even the ones I saw coming. I thought that the way the books worked was intriguing, especially how the knowledge had to be rediscovered by some of the characters. Once it gets going, the story moves along at a fast pace, leaving me desperate to know what happens next.

This book does contain blood magic. I've given it a good, hard look, and I think it avoids coming too close to invoking blood libel, for the following reasons. First, the magic doesn't have to involve the unwilling taking of someone's blood for the benefit of another. While it can take that form, in the form presented as good the blood is freely given and the magic is viewed as a positive thing of beauty. Second, while there are powerful people who take the magic for their own profit, they are not Jewish-coded in any way I noticed. And third, Jewish tradition is explicitly present elsewhere in the story and used as a source of positive strength. Obviously this is something each reader will have to decide their own comfort level on, that's just the reasoning I followed for my own feelings.

The only thing I didn't like was the romance. I didn't mind Esther's romance, though. I thought that was fine, and just messy enough to make me feel like she earned it. What really ground my gears was Joanna's romance. It's okay for characters to be single. She didn't need a man, and furthermore I never got any kind of vibe that he was particularly right for her. It felt like it was shoehorned in because the author thought she needed to end up with someone in order to be happy, and he was the most convenient guy.

Now, the most important part of the review: does the dog and/or cat die?

There's a pet dog and a pet cat owned by different characters. Both are completely fine. This book is certified adorable for pet lovers!