Perhaps reading the non-spoilery glossary before diving into chapter one helped because I did not feel lost despite the infodump. Although I still don’t quite understand spooling, but I’m sure the sequels will explain more.

Speaking of sequels, NOW (December 2023) might not be the best time to be starting this series, as the reworked books 2-4 won’t be released until May 2024, and from what I gathered from the author’s IG FAQ highlights, it’s best to continue reading the updated versions if one starts with the 10th Anniversary edition, lest I get confused if continue with the old/original sequels. A sort of new batch vs old batch, but no mixing sort of deal. And with now impatient I am, my mind will be running in circles for the next 5 months.

If you are a patient reader, however, then I highly recommend this book.

The fmc isn’t a terrible person, the mmc is a giant softie, and the world building is intriguing (AU Oxford, hello!!?)