A fantastic start to a seres. The book is thick, but the action is continuous and the four main characters intriguing. We have the 'Dark Star' Nausicaa with her secret dark past and seemingly self destructive behaviour. Then there is the self deprecating Arlo with her powers slowly coming into play and plots forming around her. Prince Vehan, a fae with a conscience and a mark that suggests dark magic is being practiced. Plus, his steward Aurelian, another teen forced into a job for his former best friend, the same friend whose mother is Queen of the court he resides in and holds power over his head in order to have him work for her and betray her son. This book is dark, but in the best way possible. It involves magic, alchemy, death, politics, underhanded deals, evil fae, other entities that are horrifying, but also immortals who were expelled but seemingly want to return to Earth. There is double crossing, there are those potting for the crown, there are bad guys who you are unsure if they maybe have some good in them, and good guys who seem very suspicious. There was a lot going on, but each tangent of the story connected back to the main plot in a way that was easy to follow and impossible to stop reading. I love how easily this fae world blended into our contemporary one, especially that the main ruling fae court resided in Toronto. The world building added depth and was masterfully woven, with a hierarchy that had you rooting for certain people to knock those at the top down a few pegs. This is a fae world in desperate need of change. But, one of my favourite parts was the addition of the God of luck and lucks manipulation of Arlo. Plus, bestowing a D&D dice that worked within the realm of the real world and the possibilities that Arlo must face within the story. It was ingenious and funny and I loved this concept in a dark fantasy novel that needed these moments of brevity. The romantic tension between the characters was also well done. With Nausicaa reluctantly finding herself defending Arlo, this young woman who is maybe not as normal as she insists. Or the fact Arlo so easily sees Nausicaa and her pain. Meanwhile the tension between Vehan and Aurelian, who clearly are in love with each other but this new relationship, forced on them by Vehan's Queen mother Riadne, has torn them apart. I did not know how much I enjoyed that dynamic until I was in the thick of it and wanting to slap both of these teen boys in the face for being so oblivious. Just a great book that has me reaching automatically for the next, which I luckily have on hand.
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