I received an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Any time I get to dive into a new world crafted by Marie Lu, it feels like a privilege. This book is an absolute breath of fresh air. She continues to strike a masterful balance between heartbreak and hope which is one of the things I love most about her books. I loved Sydney and Winter so much and I’m so excited to read about their future adventures together.
I especially loved though that Sydney had a chronic illness, and that her illness didn’t keep her from being a complete badass. It was just part of who she was, and although it created some tension for her character, it wasn’t the main issue or conflict for her which I found refreshing. Every bit of the fear she had about being found out and having her entire life taken away from her over something she couldn’t control hit me straight in the heart as someone who constantly has to worry about whether or not I’ll lose out on opportunities because someone chooses to see my health conditions before they see my qualifications. I also really enjoyed the glimpses into Dameon and Winter’s past, and the way that although they aren’t together anymore, Dameon holds nothing but respect and care for Winter still and serves as a grounding force for him as everything spirals out of control. It would’ve been easy to make him into just a jealous ex who happened to be one of Winter’s dancers but instead, he was so much more, which I was glad to see.