Although I had qualms in the beginning with some flaws of research in both culture and time period, I found myself enjoying this book more than I thought I would. This was especially surprising since I "read" most of this book as an audiobook, of which I never really do. The only part of the book that didn't lend itself well to an audiobook format was the use of French in the novel. I like search words I don't know up but since I lost my physical copy, I couldn't check spelling and I don't necessarily know French enough to guess spelling schematics. Other than that and Jean Paul's incessant comparing of wine and experiences to "love-making",  it was a wonderful adventure and I enjoyed the prose quite alot. It was cozy and dark at the same time. And the way magic and magic systems were treated in this novel was very unique and made me gasp at times (I also don't read much hard fantasy so it may not be that unique, I still loved it though). I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a light fantasy read that brings about some unique takes on witches and magic!

I enjoyed this book, however I feel it had a lot of potential that it just didn't live up to. It felt in need of fleshing out, particularly where intercharacter relationships are concerned. We are told of developments in relationships but never shown how or why such developments have occured. I also think that there were interesting characters and ideas that were not fully explored, which was a little disappointing while I was reading. Having said all that, I found the book exciting and found myself looking forward to reading it, so still worth a read if the premise appeals. Also, this is the author's debut novel, so I'm hopeful that her later works will have a little more meat on the bones.