Cayla
Updated a reading goal:
Read 30 books in 2026
Progress so far: 15 / 30 50%
As the use of alchemy chips away at the alchemist’s soul, so too has this book scraped me a bit more raw for having read it. My lack of a full 5 stars here is less a reflection of the book’s quality (which is excellent, and Marie Lu should be very proud), and more because my own soul requires just a tad more levity and hope than the grimdark of this particular story. But that said, this one will stick with me and I do highly recommend it if you’re in search of complex characters and powerful prose.
As the use of alchemy chips away at the alchemist’s soul, so too has this book scraped me a bit more raw for having read it. My lack of a full 5 stars here is less a reflection of the book’s quality (which is excellent, and Marie Lu should be very proud), and more because my own soul requires just a tad more levity and hope than the grimdark of this particular story. But that said, this one will stick with me and I do highly recommend it if you’re in search of complex characters and powerful prose.
