Jimenez does a phenomenal job at using an unusual mixed narration style (1st person plural, 2nd person singular, 3rd person limited) to draw the reader into a pan-Asian high fantasy depicting the fall of an empire tied to a queer romance and a family's legacy. Beautiful and immersive descriptions, easy to read, and captivating from beginning to end. Content warnings for depictions/descriptions of ableism, violence, gore, and incest.