Enjoyed this more than I thought I would!

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The narrator was really great, and I enjoyed the story enough that I will probably pick up the second. The strength of this book was its multi-dimensional characters and the gritty realism of scraping just enough of a living to survive. My expectations about the brother were subverted (thankfully) and I was quite happy with the ending. The author made the romantic tension between two of the characters at the end so palpable and - again, thankfully - I was extremely pleased that this tension was not focussed upon too much nor eased in any way, which would have devolved this into some sort of romance story. It was just enough to add depth to both the characters. We also see the growth of character in Romy's brother, which was subtle and came across realistically as the way a young man might while he finds his place in the world. Romy, too, was textured. I liked that her motivation for learning to fight was not to kick ass so much as to occupy herself so that she didn't drink herself into the ground. She comes across as very capable, and I enjoyed the political intrigue. While the names and places of all the political stuff sometimes came in a sudden rush, the author didn't get too caught up in it and effectively swept me back up into the action. It was enough that Romy understood what was going on. I was just along for the ride.

I was apprehensive of this book seeing that some people had shelved it as YA on Goodreads, but after finishing it, I do not agree that it is YA. While it is not grimdark and the plot is fairly straight-forward, the characters are adults and act like adults. The main focus is not romance or a "chosen one" trope, but rather how Romy is going to survive and support herself after her world is turned upside-down, and while harbouring a secret that could easily get her killed. The cost of living day-to-day in this city provided a great way to flesh out the setting. I expect more worldbuilding in the next book as Romy and the group's adventures continue.

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