A heist novel with a diverse cast of characters and a fun magic system set in 1880s Paris - count me in! The characters were great - diverse without feeling like the author was just adding queer/neurodivergent/bipoc/biracial characters in. Laila being a “made girl” and Zofia’s viewpoint stood out, but Hypnos, Enrique, and Severin were also fun too. The book also has some interesting things to say about colonization and some relatable feelings about being subjected to xenophobia and racism. The magic is interesting - it's basically used like how we use technology. There’s also some slightly heartbreaking romance and some fun queer romance.
I had some problems with the writing - some of the plot and villains felt random and episodic and sometimes the characters didn’t feel “real.” So it wasn’t perfect, but it was fun.