Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a multi POV of an attempt to stop the Tzars ex husbands attempt of destruction and wrecking havoc upon its people.

Ok so the positive of this book is that the foundation and premise of this book is wonderful! It is a great idea to do a book based off of Jewish mythology and Russian monarchy!
The characters seem to try to be dynamic and the world is expansive!

Now the negative,
To begin, tell me why book goes at a SNAILS PACE? I hate to be negative but honestly nothing happened for the first ~200 pages! Now some people will say that it takes that long to develop the world, the characters, etc. But I believe even if you are world building or introducing the characters there still needs to be something that drives the plot.
Also, the world is expansive but I felt confused multiple times throughout the book because it seemed like the author just infodumped like “Hey this country over here who is our trading mate…” and that’s it? Like I feel that even though nothing happened in the first 200 pages I believe that the world should have been explained more thoroughly.
Last negative- Tell me one good reason why I couldn’t read this on my kindle?! I understand it’s my fault for not recognizing I couldn’t read it on my kindle but I sincerely believe that I would have enjoyed this book tenfold if I didn’t have to suffer through it on my phone.


So all in all, I believe this book has an extremely strong foundation but what’s built upon the foundation is shaky. I don’t want to judge too harshly because it’s this authors debut and I believe to a certain audience this book would be great! However I am not that audience.

When I received the notification about this book, I knew I was uniquely interested in reading it. I studied Judaism in graduate school ending with achieving my Masters in Second Temple Judaism. This book is so richly coated in the Ashkenazi traditions that I felt as though I was reading something familiar and known to me. The author did a fantastic job of blending real traditions and the ones written for the book in a way that was engaging.
The characters are pretty well fleshed out and the author goes a decent way to make sure we understand the extent to which the characters have been damaged by their pasts. The story shows that while we have our traumas and things we have experienced, it doesn't make us any less valuable. The "bad guy" in the book gets detailed chapters as well so we get the unique perspective of seeing what caused him to behave in the way he did. I can't say I see very many books that do this as well as this one did.
The only thing I didn't enjoy was the amount of gore in the book. Now there wasn't much but it was graphic when it was included so be aware of that as I honestly went into this one blind. There is also a fairly detailed relationship of abuse including sexual, So be aware of these warnings if they are something you don't typically read.
In closing, this is a very well-written book, full of tradition and culture. I greatly appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book along with the additional reading which I will be checking out.

5 star read for me. This story is fantastic, the characters are chefs kiss. Loved the story line so much.

2.25 stars
Hate to say it, but I found this book to be terribly disappointing. I'm aware that there's a large extent to which the issues I had with this book are likely just things that didn't work for me personally more than being true flaws with the book, but I'm still finding myself wanting to play plot doctor with this as I try to identify why it didn't work for me.

There are two main things that I thought this book did really well. First off, I thought the characters in this book themselves were excellent, and they were the main thing that had me at all invested in the story. There are some really wholesome found family dynamics between Dimitri and his court, and seeing the moments of them caring for and supporting one another was really enjoyable. The way they were all so in-tune to one another to sense what they needed, and seeing their comfortable platonic physical affection made me really happy, and was easily my favorite part of the book. While the side characters didn't get a ton of development, I thought the main three POV characters were all well-fleshed out, complex, and layered. (Granted, I think that this element could have been even stronger if we had been able to see these relationships form, rather than being dropped in with all of them already established, but I'll get into that more later.)

This book also had some really excellent representation. This is a queer-normative world, and you are hard-pressed to find a straight character anywhere in this book. We got to see characters be casually queer and bi and aroace and non-binary, while also making sure that these characters weren't solely defined by their queerness. The author's note also said that a lot of the fantasy elements were inspired by Jewish legends and mythology, so while I didn't have the background knowledge to pick up on those elements myself, I think it's still a great thing to see more of in fantasy.

I think by far the biggest thing I struggled with came down to the book's overall structure, and the pacing issues that resulted from it. Right from the start of this book, we are thrown into the story a couple months past the aftermath of an attack and coup, and we're watching as the former Tzar and his court lick their wounds and work through their respective traumas as a result of this. However, rather than opting for more of a dual-timeline narrative structure, as is more common with a set up like this, the entirety of the book proceeds from there, with only occasional paraphrasing and the even more rare flashback serving to catch us up on everything that happened.

I felt like the issue with this structure was that, because we were only getting what essentially amounted to second-hand accounts of this world-shifting event (and everything that lead up to it), these moments did not carry the emotional gravitas that I think they were intended to. It essentially became a problem of telling rather than showing, because we don't get to see for ourselves how the characters were thinking and feeling and struggling in those impactful moments, but only how it has affected them afterwards. While we understand exactly how much these characters are reeling after everything they've been through, it felt like the book spent all its time just trying to convince us of that via repetition rather than through immersion. I think that if this book had done a more dual-timeline approach— letting us live through the coup ourselves and see the transformation — it would have helped make everything feel as dire and world-shifting as the characters are telling us it is.

I also think there's a degree to which I would have been more invested in the plot if information hadn't been revealed as quickly as it was. We're basically told within the first few chapters everything noteworthy about Alexey's corruption, betrayal, and abuse. I'm not advocating for this to take the form of domestic abuse being a plot twist (looking at you [author:Colleen Hoover|5430144]), but I think that had the other elements been concealed so we had been left wondering longer what happened to cause the estrangement between Alexey and Dimitri, it might have made me more invested in continuing to see what happened.

Obviously, how the author decides to pace her story is her own choice, but I think that the way it was done here ultimately lead to a lot of the issues I had with the pacing. The plot beats of this book are structured as though this book is trying to be a political fantasy, but there is simply no clever politicking to be found. So much of the page time in this book is spent listening to characters talk about making plans and doing things, but it takes about 2/3 of the book for anyone to start actually acting on them. Instead, we spent most of our time watching Alexey rub his hands manically as he plotted his evil schemes, while our heroes sat at home wringing theirs and occasionally reading books to find ways of magicking up solutions to their problems.

I also didn't feel like the magic system leant all that much to the story, outside of it setting the stakes for Alexey's power. According to the author's note, a lot of the magic and myths in the book were inspired by the author's own Jewish culture, which I think is great, and I love seeing authors incorporate their heritage into their books. However, the way it was applied in this book largely felt like it only existed for the sake of plot convenience when the protagonists wouldn't have had any other way to solve a particular problem. I have no problem with soft magic systems generally — I think they can often be super compelling and a great way to round out the world — but I think that you have to see those systems in use for purposes other than just resolving particular conflicts in order to feel like it's a full part of the world. I can recognize why it wouldn't make sense in the context of the story if these characters were just running around using magic all the time, but I think there were other scenarios in which it could have been used to make it a more well-incporated system.

While the romance in the book that we're supposed to root for is not intended to be at the forefront of the story, I wasn't exactly sold on the elements of it that we did get. While I thought the characters worked well together and were a good fit for one another, I never felt like the intensity of their emotions was exactly earned by the end.

The other thing I found odd with this book was the sheer number of on-page sex scenes we got between an abuser and their victim(s). Granted, the way these scenes were actually written in and of themselves, I didn't get the sense that they were intended to titillate, but rather were present to illustrate the power imbalances and mindset of said abuser. However, it does still leave me wondering what the intention was of having multiple, descriptive scenes like these in the book. It seemed like it had made its point about the abuse after the first one, and could have communicated the same information via paraphrases or implications when needed, and not made us sit through multiple occurrences of someone being manipulated.

Despite my critiques, I do hope this book finds its readers and the people who will enjoy it. While I obviously had my issues with the structure and the pacing, the writing itself was enjoyable, and I think the concept had a lot of potential. I recognized pretty early on that I wasn't vibing with this book, and probably would have DNF'd if it hadn't been an ARC, so I realize that a lot of my issues are on me for choosing to finish a book I knew I wasn't enjoying. I can't exactly say that by the end I feel this book was worth me finishing it, but, if nothing else, I can appreciate it being an exercise in determining what things I do and don't enjoy.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an arc. I love Samotin’s beautiful writing, the vibe indeed reminds me of a blend of Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows and King of Scars. So if you love Bardugo, slow pacing and sexy gay romance this book is for you. But it does get repetitive at times.

I really enjoyed this book. We start off with our characters in hiding post war, and are given more details about what has happened as we go along in our current story.

I loved the three viewpoints we got and felt each character had a distinct voice. We got to really understand each characters motivations and struggles on how to go forward. Having a villain POV was also really unique and gave us good insight into the ways he convinces himself he is in the right. I found his POV very interesting and was excited to see how it progressed as we went along. Dimitri, Vasily and gang were all trying to come together and find a way forward through a horrible loss in the war. Their POVs really tugged on the heartstrings and they had a lot of mental hurdles to overcome.

My main issue with the book is that it really felt like book 2 in a 3 book series. Without any spoilers I would really love a book about the initial war. Our characters all start with pre-established relationships which is fine, but I feel like we picked up in the middle and we never got to know our side characters as much as was advertised with the 'found family' vibes. Even the start of Dimiti and Vasily's friendship would have been really nice to see to really get that progression in their relationship. While I ended up really loving the book I can see why some people might be frustrated with this way of telling the story.

This was such an enrapturing tale. While very little happens-plotwise, there is so much worldbuilding and atmosphere-setting happening on every page that I never felt bored. And the plot itself was interesting and makes sense to be a slow-build (in fact, if it wasn't a slow build I don't think it would have been nearly as impactful).

As far as if you're questioning if you'd like to read this I found myself comparing this to two books throughout the novel: Shadow and Bone and Mockingjay. Shadow and Bone in the worldbuilding/fantasy elements. It felt a lot like getting to watch what might have happened when the Darkling first came to power, especially with all the talks of heresy and 'the holy science.' Mockingjay in that you get a first-hand look at a main character coping with years of trauma (physical, emotional and mental), healing from it in a way that felt realistic and not being shamed by their peers for being traumatized.

4.5 stars Insert keysmash here it was so good. Everyone's comparing this to Shadow and Bone, probably because that's the perfect comparison for world, vibes, and even the characters. The Sins on Their Bones is more character-driven and more Jewish, both of which appealed to me as well.

What I liked:
- villain POV! Normally I hate it but Alexey was so interesting
- the exploration of trauma was impactful without being overwhelming. Like I felt the ick, but didn't want to throw up.
- the side characters were all super interesting. Ladushka was of course my favorite, but they all felt real.
- the writing was absolutely beautiful

What I didn't like:
= Dimitri reminded me of Alina Starkov
- the sex scenes felt so unnecessary. We got enough understanding of the impacts of sexual abuse from the rest of the book, and I didn't need to read all the details.
- the world was literally just Ravka from the Grishaverse, complete with the religious fanaticism and magic vs science tension

3.5 stars rounded up.

There was a lot I enjoyed. I loved the Jewish folklore, religion and culture infusing the worldbuilding. There’s a lot of space given to the ‘villain-cam’ point of view, and it added to the dark, gritty atmosphere. The romance had a sweet ‘realising what you had all along’ vibe that gave a lift in the otherwise heavy subject matter (although I didn’t feel like it had quite enough… meat? Weight? To really be satisfying). The book has some interesting things to say about ptsd and the aftermath of abusive relationships, and about healing in community with others.

But there was also quite a bit that brought it down for me. The pacing was a bit out of balance, especially in the first half — there wasn’t enough plot to flesh it out satisfactorily — and then the climax builds very quickly in comparison. Not all of the three POVs held their weight and justified their presence throughout the book. There was the most PAINFULLY laboured introductions of a side character’s sexuality I’ve ever read, and frankly as an ace person, I would rather no rep than that, thanks. And the sex scenes fall into an extremely irritating fanfic habit which is probably too explicit to put in a Goodreads review, so all I’ll say is that I wish authors would talk to a real, actual gay man before writing anal sex because that ‘prep’ is not necessary. (Especially not basically every time. It got SO repetitive.)

eh . . . i don’t know. i’m not too into fantasy, so perhaps that’s on me; however, i do think the story was a little wacky and that the characters weren’t as fleshed out as they should.

I enjoyed the characters and overall plot of this story, but I found that the pacing was really a struggle for me. At times the story seemed to move so slowly that I had a hard time starting engaged.

Thank you to NeGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Laura R. Samotin for an advanced copy of The Sins on Their Bones in exchange for an honest review.

I first requested this book because the summary reminded me of the Grishaverse created by Leigh Bardugo (if it was heavily Jewish). I had high hopes for this book, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The world building and atmosphere is so well done. No detail is left out, nothing is too obscure or minute. The characters are all beautifully written, and have their own outlook on life and handle grief and loss and trauma differently from one another. In the opening chapter, the reader gets a feel for Dimitri’s found family, and how much they all care for one another. This immersion into the world of Novo-Svitsevo makes the heartbreak, trials, and tribulation the characters go through that much more intense. I will admit I cried several times while reading, some happy tears and some less happy. Another thing that I really loved about this book is that it’s centered around Jewish religion, folklore and culture, and Samotin includes a list of books for further reading if interested in learning more about these aspects.


My biggest issue with this book is the pacing. There were times where it felt never-ending yet nothing was truly happening. Pacing can really make or break the story, and I did have to fight the urge to DNF several times, just because the only thing happening was sex. On the flip side, the last 5-8 chapters have so much going on that, and I found myself having to reread passages because I didn’t catch certain details.


Overall: 3.5 stars, I would definitely recommend this to my friends (with the warning about pacing) and I’ll probably even buy a physical copy when it’s released because I did thoroughly enjoy The Sins on Their Bones. I hope to see more of these characters and definitely more of Laura R. Samotin’s writing.

The Sins on Their Bones follows Tzar Dmitri and his exiled companions. All of them have been forced to escape from Dmitri’s kingdom thanks to the coup staged by Dmitri’s estranged husband, who chose to dabble in forbidden magic in his quest for power and immortality. Now Dmitri, with the help of his friends, must find a way not only to heal his broken heart, but also his broken kingdom before his husband finds a way to destroy both for good.

The Sins on Their Bones is the kind of book where you will suffer with the characters, but in a way that you will absolutely enjoy 😂I definitely recommend reading the TW, because this is not a light book. Personally, I loved Laura’s world building and the way that she incorporated Judaism into the story. This book was also spicer than I thought it would be, which made for a pleasant surprise while reading. Vasya and Dima were the characters that I wanted to give hugs to through out, but Alexey made for an, at times at least, alluring villain. I was disgusted with him, but also felt sorry for him, almost despite myself. I think if you enjoyed the camaraderie of Six of Crows, are a sucker for a wounded protagonist, are looking for your next queer normative fantasy and/or love to see real world folklore in fantasy then this is a book for you!

Beautiful and devastating, harrowing and heart warming; this book manages to blend the turmoil of trauma with the wonders of healing, and leaves it gorgeously wrapped up within an addictive brilliant fantasy offering. ’The Sins On Their Bones’ doesn’t just give readers an exhilarating new fantasy world to lose themselves within but somehow simultaneously poignantly depicts the realities of abusive relationships and the clashing emotions that form as a result of them.

If the premise of ’The Sins On Their Bones’ appeals to you then I sincerely doubt that you’ll find yourself disappointed. The fantasy offerings involved were fascinating to discover and ventured into some very dark territory at times too. Personally I’m not really familiar with the Jewish mythology that this novel draws inspiration from but it was mesmerising to discover and I’d definitely read similarly inspired narratives in the future. The world was intriguing to learn about and the politics at play kept me riveted throughout. Being set after a ‘disastrous civil war’ makes for a wonderfully refreshing viewpoint too, beginning the story at the point where many others would be nearing their middle or end.

Character wise I was enthralled by this novel and I love how poignantly it made you feel both the hurts and loves that these individuals experienced. Dimitri enters the scene a broken man and his journey of healing – and untangling the exact road that led to his state of mind – will devastate you. Alexey is a villain that you’ll find yourself simultaneously intrigued and disgusted by, his viewpoint crafted so masterfully that you won’t be able to look away. And Vasily is the spymaster caught between the two; his current mission dangerous enough to leave you brimming with intrigue. Those are the three viewpoints that you get to discover but the supporting cast is brilliantly depicted too and there are numerous characters that I can see burrowing their way into readers’ hearts. Especially given how wonderfully this book captures those ‘found family’ feels.

What truly amazed me about this novel is how painstakingly it captured the complicated relationship between Dimitri and Alexey though. This is a pairing that will hurt to unravel but it’s so believably crafted too. The heartbreak and devastation; the clashes for power and control. It isn’t an easy match to read about but its depiction is superb.

I also feel the need to mention how much I adored the library that featured in this book on occasion. It’s the sort of magical, and disturbing, book filled environment that I’d read many a story set within. (And features some surprisingly intriguing characters too).

Altogether I absolutely recommend ’The Sins On Their Bones’ and can see it appealing to both fans of fantasy (for it’s intriguing mystical elements, dark horrors and political manoeuvring) as well as those who pick novels up for its characters over anything else. It’s a debut that’s left me mesmerised and managed to balance its plot and more emotional aspects beautifully. Needless to say I’m looking forward to picking up whatever the author writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐.5/5
There's a lot to love about this book, but it's also very rough around the edges. The Sins on Their Bones was compared to three of my favourite authors - Leigh Bardugo, Ava Reid and Katherine Arden. And in many ways, it delivered. This feels like a darker, grief, adult version of shadow and bone, with a setting reminiscent of Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy. Fans of Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman might also enjoy this very much.

The good:
• The worldbuilding is fleshed out and not infodumpy at all. It's richly steeped in Jewish folklore and mysticism and I really enjoyed reading that.
• The characters are also fully fleshed out, complex, morally ambiguous and each has their own motivation,. Dimitri's trauma and the abuse he suffered made my heart ache. Alexey works really well as a villain. The ways in which he tries to justify his behaviour just makes the reader hate him all the more. Dimitri and Vasily's relationship was beautifully written. Vasily's letter to Dimitri was the highlight of the book for me.
• I really appreciate the fact that the world is a queernormative one and homophobia isn't a source of trauma and people are accepted just the way they are.
• The found family trope was well done. I loved the side characters and their relationship with Dimitri.

The not so good:
• The history of this world isn't clearly explained. I wanted to know more about the war because of which all this suffering is there in the first place.
• The pacing is the major issue with this book. I understand that it's a debut and expect the author to improve in the sequel, but the majority of the book felt so..... uneventful. A lot of time was spent strategizing and discussing. Also m the author could've cut down on the smut a little but, especially with scenes involving Alexey as that might be triggering for readers.
• The ending felt a little rushed and the climax was underwhelming.
• The cliffhanger was so unnecessary. TSTB could've worked perfectly as a standalone. I'm currently feeling conflicted as to whether I should read the sequel or not.

The Sins on Their Bones was a mixed bag for me. I'd recommend this for readers looking for a darker version of shadow and bone or something akin to the wolf and the woodsman. Please do check out the trigger warnings provided by the author as there are many.

⭐ 4.5 / 5 rounded up
Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomca for allowing me to read this eARC. The unbiased opinions presented in this review are mine alone.
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As soon as I finished reading the last word, I dropped this book (aka my phone) into my lap and I stared into space for what must have been an awkward amount of time, my mouth opening and closing like a stunned fish. The Sins on Their Bones emotionally wrecked me.

Reading this in PDF form on the NetGalley app was clunky and awkward but I persevered and it, of course, has no relevance to the quality of the book’s content.

This debut novel is a dark fantasy set in a folklore-inspired 19th-century Eastern Europe. Right away we are thrown into the aftermath of a devastating civil war between two husbands - Dimitri the rightful Tsar of the fictional Novo-Svitsevo and Alexey, his estranged husband usurper. We find Dimitri in exile trying to regroup with the closest remaining members of his court. His spymaster, Vasily, volunteers to go undercover while providing Dimitri with information that could help him kill Alexey and take back his throne. That would be dangerous enough on its own but Alexey is no ordinary man or Tsar, if you can even still call him a man. Using what he calls Holy Science he died and was resurrected into a nearly indestructible, corrupted, evil force. His goal is to create an undefeatable demon army and make Novo-Svitsevo the strongest and most powerful nation in the world.

This book starts bleak and pretty much stays that way. Love, what that means, and how it is really shown is certainly a theme, but this is absolutely NOT a romantasy. It is truly a dark fantasy and trauma abounds. You can feel the heaviness, the stakes are palpable. Think the worst of religion, politics, and relationship violence, everything and everyone is traumatized here. Intimate partner violence - physical, emotional, and sexual - is a prominent theme. The author thoughtfully included a list of potential triggers for readers before the first chapter, so be sure to look there if you want more specific content warnings.

I can see how some people would find the pacing slow, especially at the beginning, but in my view the story followed Dimitri’s emotional arc quite well, starting melancholic and defeated, moving toward determined and action-driven. I was immediately hooked by the setting, atmosphere, and cultural intrigue. The Jewish folklore is woven in perfectly. The prose is beautiful. After finishing the book I read the author's bio and was not surprised to discover Laura R. Samotin has a background in military tactics and power politics. It is certainly evident in her writing.

There are three POVs - Dimitri, Vasily, and Alexey - the antagonist. Each POV holds depth and a sustained arc. The character development shines. This book is also a stellar example of a well-done LGBTQIA+ normative world.

I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. If felt like build, build, build, build, okay that’s done, story over. Nevertheless, I was (emotionally) left on the floor.

If you’re not into incredibly intense dark plots this might not be for you, but if you are looking for something different in your fantasy reading check this out. The Sins on Their Bones is an impressive debut novel. I am looking forward to seeing where Laura R. Samotin goes from here.

I have not been able to stop thinking about this book since I finished reading it.

Dimitri lost this thrown and the war and is now a broken man. Lucky for him he has his spymaster/lover Vasily and whats left of his court to try and rescue his country from his traitorous husband Alexey. I really enjoyed the found family in this story and how they all cared for, loved and protected each other. Watching Dimitri overcome and grow throughout the book was great, I want to wrap in a warm blanket and kiss his forehead.

Alexey was the best kind of villain, thinking he was the hero of the story even when it's obvious he's not.

The world building and magic/religion of the book were well fleshed-out and nothing came easy. There were real consequences for everything these characters did and the stakes felt high throughout the story.

Recommend to read all the TW, as the book is not an easy read. That being said I could not pout it down and I already miss this story and these characters. My only critique is that the ending was a little more open than I personally prefer (not sure if a sequel is planned?). I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys action, in depth characters, a dash of magic and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This hurt, in the best way possible. I can't say much about the traditions or the religious discussion here, but the fantasy and romance side was heartwrenching and very well done. Samotin created a strong world, one that I'm glad to have been able to be a part of, and I'm definitely going to be on the hunt for more of her books sometime soon. The depictions of abuse and grief here hit hard, but aren't used for shock value, every character's trauma is given the appropriate weight and there's never a moment that feels out of left field. While this is a heavy book, it handles its topics well, and creates a discussion about trauma that isn't generally seen in the genre.

Well, I read the content warning at the beginning of the book by the author and thought I would be fine, but as I read more of the book I realized, nope, this one is not for me. I DNF'd at about 45%

The story itself sounds intriguing. Set in a fantastical Russia where the czar is usurped by his ex husband and now needs to decide if he can fight for his kingdom even if it means the demise of the man he still loves. Through in some Rasputin devilry as the ex gets his power through some demonic machinations and I was ready for it.! But this fantasy is DARK in more ways than one. While I was captured by the first few chapters, the narrative descends into both Dimitri''s (rightful czar) and Alexie's (Bad guy abuser's) POV. Here we get an in depth look at the couple's past relationship which includes gaslighting, sexual assault, verbal abuse , and this list goes on. One chapter would suffice, but I did not need over 100 pages of this to convince me.

Not only was it too much for , but it also stalled the plot. There is an interesting set of characters that don't get much page time with the exception of the spy and new f boy to Dimitri (third POV character). Somewhere in here is a plan to infiltrate Alexie's palace and take back what is theirs, but we don't get much of this "heist" at all in the first half. I just reached the point where I didn't really care and it wasn't worth it to me to keep reading the trauma filled pages to see what would happen.

Having said this, check the content warnings and other revierws. Some people seem to love this book and found it even healing. I can see how this could be the case. Even so, not a good time at all for me.

I am so happy there are books like this in the world. Jewish fantasy... Jewish queer fantasy?!?!? I absolutely adored how Jewish mysticism was used in this world. I am on a quest to read all of the Jewish fantasy out there, and this has been one of my favorite iterations. I loved how this takes place in a fantasy world based on Russia but with the underlying religion being Jewish. This is without it having to be named or the people practicing it being persecuted. I loved how it was woven into everyday life and was the backbone of the whole story. There were no written rules or practices. It was just the default belief and magic, just like in many fantasies, the underlying default is Christianity (even though I think a lot of authors don't realize it is.)

The actual plot was interesting, and I liked the conclusion, but I did think the pacing in the beginning was a bit slow. One of the reasons why I didn't rate this book 5 stars was that it took me a long time to read it and get invested. And also, even though I enjoyed it, I do not think it is a book I would reread unless there is a sequel (which by one unnecessary last scene may happen), and I want to remember what happened. I thought this book explored different traumas and toxic relationships interestingly. Look up trigger warnings for this book because there are dark scenes and some spice if you are sensitive to some of those things.

Overall, I am glad this book exists, and I would love to explore more of this world, though maybe not be a direct sequel.