24th December 2022

I picked this up after seeing it both in a shop and marketed online. It’s not quite what I was expecting.

This is the story of a young map expert who has been ostracised from her community following an argument several years ago - and when she is pulled back into that world she finds herself exploring a mystery that reveals a surprising amount.

I think I was expecting more of a fantasy novel - whereas this feels much more of a mystery novel with minor fantasy elements in it.

I found the first half of the novel slow going - there’s a lot of set up. The structure is interesting, with sort of aside chapters that start to fill in the background little by little. But then I raced through the second half.

I’d be interested in reading more in this world - there seems to be plenty of opportunity to explore more stories set around this fantasy setting.

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