Sophisticated middle school readers have been telling me I should read this book for years and I finally read it for an 8th grade book club. I admit that fantasy books with maps in them are not my top reading preference, but I appreciate outstanding books in all genres, so I knew I would probably like it based on the kids who recommended it. I had to think hard and force myself to get through the first few chapters of the book (who are these people and what in the world is jurda parem?). As with many elaborate fantasies, it has its own vocabulary and geography and you have to get accustomed to the world that is being built. All this to say, once I was engaged with the characters (six young people, all part of an elaborate criminal endeavor), I could not stop thinking about this book. The world-building and the intricacies of the heist are amazing, but what makes me attached to a book is always the characters. Bardugo gives us complex teens dealing with heavy issues in a world of magic and brothels and dark criminals and the suppression and manipulation of whole groups of people. Recommended for 8th grade-up.
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