Actual rating - 4.5 Daggermouth is definitely one of those books that builds up slowly and then hits you like a truck. I absolutely loved the dark setting - a corrupted world where the elite (The Heart) rules and takes everything. The other rings are just left to suffer, work, die, starve and fight for scraps. Any disobedience is rewarded with Death, with Maximum Serel at the head imposing his cruelty. The world-building was really well done and felt natural - it did not feel tedious to learn more about the world, and everything was uncovered slowly and cleverly. I loved the descriptions of the different rings and how different they are. I do wish we learned more about the Cardinal ring, but overall, the world felt coherent, it was interesting and well done. I also loved the lore around mask law and all it represents - oppression, control, limits human interaction and creates fear, and it was a nice addition. I also absolutely loved the narrative style - the author masterfully managed many POVs, in a way that was not confusing, with each character having their background, motivations and desires. I am in awe of the author's ability to build up the plot through different POVs to then tie it all together at the end. It was really well done and well written. The writing was easy to read and not confusing at all. One of the strong aspects of this book is definitely the characters! I absolutely LOVED Callum and Lira, and they definutely store the show. I loved Callum's duplicity, the way he navigates vices to try to do better. I also loved his relationship with Lira. Lira was also such a good character; her background was slowly uncovered, which makes every revelation even more impactful. I also loved Jameson; his loyalty had me rooting for him so badly. I definitely want more of those three characters, or I will be MAD. Finally, I also loved Greyson and Shadera. They are very compelling main characters with a lot of trauma, strenght and wounds. I liked how their relationship evolved - from enemies to them realising they might not be enemies at all. I do feel like most of their relationship is based on lust right now, and I would want more in the next book if I am supposed to root for Greyson. I also loved every character engaged in the rebellion - all of them were good, and I loved seeing them all join forces. This book was not perfect. I had a couple of issues with how fast some things were moving and some actions/events that felt a bit too convoluted, but overall it was a solid read. Without spoilers, the ending goes crazy. I thought I would know how it would go, and I was totally shocked twice! The last scene definitely has me hooked for book 2!

Many thanks to NetGalley, PacMillian, and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy. All the opinions you’ll read here are mine and mine alone. I want to start with the conclusion: the hype surrounding this book is fully deserved, and everyone should read it if they’re looking for a dystopia with romantic subplots. Does it have its flaws? Yes (and I won’t lie—some of them took me out of the story a bit), but it has the perfect combination of political conflicts and mostly complex characters to make it enjoyable. In my opinion, the characters’ evolution within their respective contexts is the story’s central thread. One thing is clear: each and every one of them is filled with rage, but it’s how they deal with it that sets them apart. Shadera turns to violence; Greyson uses control; Lira represses hers; Callum uses secrets as a weapon; and Jameson focuses on rebellion. Each character represents a different social defect and its consequences. Those who follow my updates know that Jameson and Lira are my favorite characters, and in both cases, the reason is the same: their vulnerability and their strength. It’s true that at one point, Jameson’s fixation on Shade started to feel repetitive to me and held the character back, but the way he reveals that vulnerability beneath his well-constructed armor while remaining a guiding force in the rebellion is something I absolutely loved. As for Lira—I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—she’s a queen through and through, and her evolution is incredible. From the very beginning, she hints at a strength that no punishment or cruelty can break, but her growth toward the end is nothing short of spectacular, and it’s one of the main reasons I’m eagerly awaiting the second book. My most unpopular opinion is precisely that Shadera and Greyson aren’t the characters I liked the most. In fact, I think the author’s “favoritism” toward Shadera is very evident. She constantly tries to turn Shadera into something that Shade not only isn’t, but has never shown herself to be. You can’t call someone “the face of the Rebellion” when she’s only brought violence—and when she’s had the chance to do something, she’s remained rather passive. I understand that the author wanted to show that women can also be cruel and intelligent, that they can harbor a pent-up rage that no man can prevent from boiling over, but that doesn’t make her a strong character. Honestly, in my opinion, her actions are more typical of a little girl throwing tantrums at everything and everyone. Don’t get me wrong—I understand her anger and many of the decisions she makes out of that anger, but for the most part, she was a passive character until the moment she resorted to violence, sometimes without justification. Another thing: enduring pain doesn’t make you strong—it just makes you resistant to pain—and that can’t be the author’s only way to show that a character is resilient. Not to mention that, medically speaking, there are things you simply can’t do with a stab wound in your side, broken ribs, and “a gurgling of blood that can be heard when she breathes.” Forgive me, but that sounds like a punctured lung to me, and without medical attention, you’d bleed out. But hey, it’s fantasy, so we’ll let it slide. Besides my favorite characters, what I enjoyed most was the diversity of factions within the conflict. I think it added a complexity to the plot that worked very well and that, on its own, explained how the pieces moved on the board. And I thought the introduction of the focus of the second book was incredible. The setting is well described. At first, I didn’t understand what the Heart was: it sounded to me like a building, a constitution, a place, or an abstraction, but I think it becomes a little clearer by the end. I also think the author successfully conveys the desperation and pollution in the Border as well as the luxury in the Heart. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. She managed to balance more poetic elements with direct, descriptive language that keeps you on the edge of your seat. My only criticism is that I think the chapters could have been divided better—not because they’re long, but because they’re unnecessarily long. There are obvious breaks within the chapters that could have been separated without affecting the book’s structural logic. Overall, it’s a well-rounded book with a diverse cast of characters that allows you to connect with several of them, plenty of political intrigue, and more than one unexpected twist to keep you on the edge of your seat. I said it at the beginning, but I’ll say it again: I highly recommend it to anyone who misses dystopias.