A spellbinding fantasy book about friendship, bravery, and everything in between! For so long, I saw the author, Alex Aster, everywhere in my Instagram reels, so I decided to give her novel a go. Let me say, it did not disappoint. The worldbuilding was a rich tapestry, and the Latin influences gave the world a familiar feel while still taking its own unique form. The description and writing are lovely. The Book of Cuentos excerpts gave everything a magical feel and corresponded well with the story. However, what did bother me the most (and docked a star from my rating) was how eerily reminiscent the characters were of the trio in Harry Potter. Tor was somewhat like Harry, but Melda and Engle were exact copies of Hermione and Ron, respectively. Overall, though, the worldbuilding more than made up for it. The book ended on a cliffhanger that is so infuriating but enticing. I hope to get my hands on the second book soon!

A spellbinding fantasy book about friendship, bravery, and everything in between! For so long, I saw the author, Alex Aster, everywhere in my Instagram reels, so I decided to give her novel a go. Let me say, it did not disappoint. The worldbuilding was a rich tapestry, and the Latin influences gave the world a familiar feel while still taking its own unique form. The description and writing are lovely. The Book of Cuentos excerpts gave everything a magical feel and corresponded well with the story. However, what did bother me the most (and docked a star from my rating) was how eerily reminiscent the characters were of the trio in Harry Potter. Tor was somewhat like Harry, but Melda and Engle were exact copies of Hermione and Ron, respectively. Overall, though, the worldbuilding more than made up for it. The book ended on a cliffhanger that is so infuriating but enticing. I hope to get my hands on the second book soon!

WOW. This book was brilliant! I loved every moment of it, from the characters to the gentle chaos to the full-blown chaos within the walls of a prestigious ballet conservatory. The writing style was beautiful, at once heartbreaking and concise, with incredible worldbuilding and description. The idea of a picture-perfect group of ballet dancers each hiding dark secrets was executed just right. The characters definitely weren't the flawless images they project onstage. There were so many issues and topics covered in this book, but they kept the pages flying fast and my suspense mounted high. Truly a stellar book with a cliffhanger that nearly killed me (and someone else in the book...). I can't wait to continue this journey in the sequel.

WOW. This book was brilliant! I loved every moment of it, from the characters to the gentle chaos to the full-blown chaos within the walls of a prestigious ballet conservatory. The writing style was beautiful, at once heartbreaking and concise, with incredible worldbuilding and description. The idea of a picture-perfect group of ballet dancers each hiding dark secrets was executed just right. The characters definitely weren't the flawless images they project onstage. There were so many issues and topics covered in this book, but they kept the pages flying fast and my suspense mounted high. Truly a stellar book with a cliffhanger that nearly killed me (and someone else in the book...). I can't wait to continue this journey in the sequel.