Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This book was really interesting. I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it, but I absolutely ATE. IT. UP. This book is very fast-paced, so while maybe lacking a little bit of description, it is a quick and immersive read. 

I requested this one because it has a beautiful cover and the promise to be reminiscent of Katherine Arden's The Bear and The Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy is hands-down one of my favourite series ever). Also, the idea of a mortal woman competing in the underworld to become the bride of the god of death in order to save her village?  Sounds intriguing, right?! 

Erlik / Death is an amazing character. He is definitely morally grey (I actually don't know if he has any morals at all), but he has so many swoon worthy moments. His description is a little weird - more monster than human with multiple arms and eyes - so it was hard to picture what he actually looks like, but his dialogue and pining makes him very loveable. 

I didn't adore Zerryn, our FMC, I did like her sass and quick-wit, but she is a little dumb and so back and forth in how she feels throughout the book. It was a little bit difficult to connect with her for this reason... so I'm glad we had her backstory of growing up because I felt that helped to give me a connection to her from the beginning and overlook her flaws. 

Some of the side characters were the best part of the story, Beyza in particular... who is a somewhat cruel and lovable vampire.

I had a few hang-ups with the book, first of all the pacing felt a little choppy at times and I was confused about the setting (particularly in the beginning when we follow Zerryn as she grows up, which is very fast-paced). I'm not sure I loved the ending either, but I think everything was very conclusive. I also wish we had a bit more description of the Underworld, but I loved the overall gothic vibe and setting. 

A fair warning that the relationships are somewhat toxic, there is a love-triangle (but it's practically non-existent), and it reads very much as romantasy, which is definitely the main focus of the story. 

I was also excited to find out that F.M. Aden is a Canadian author, and I will definitely be picking up other books by her in the future.