Something about the way F.T. Lukens creates these queer normative worlds just feels so cozy and welcoming. As much as I enjoy a story about acceptance and self-discovery, I loved that Ellery was non-binary and that was that. It wasn't a focus of the story. They just got to exist as themselves, and no one had an issue. I really enjoyed the little found family of sorts that we get in this story as well. The magical adventure was so much fun. This story has a lot of similar elements to some Greek mythology that I noticed. Namely, Hades and the Underworld, and Orpheus and Eurydice. They are vastly different stories, but I actually liked the similarities I saw, as someone who finds Greek mythology interesting. Knox was honestly my favorite character of this story. He is so bright-eyed, yet troubled at the same time. He is a very layered character and really goes on quite the journey in this story. It just made the experience that much more engaging. Also, Ellery and Knox's budding romance was adorable and lovely to watch grow throughout this story.  All in all, this was a fun time. I was thoroughly entertained. My only qualm is the aspect of Ellery's relationship with their parents. It's mentioned frequently, but not really shown. We get a phone call from their mother towards the end that didn't seem fitting, but that was all. It just didn't feel like it was a well-developed part of the story and then rushed towards the end. That said, this is still great.