Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Eli isn’t just a teenage girl — she’s a made-thing the witches created to hunt down ghosts in the human world. Trained to kill with her seven magical blades, Eli is a flawless machine, a deadly assassin. But when an assignment goes wrong, Eli starts to question everything she was taught about both worlds, the Coven, and her tyrannical witch-mother.

Worried that she’ll be unmade for her mistake, Eli gets caught up with a group of human and witch renegades, and is given the most difficult and dangerous task in the worlds: capture the Heart of the Coven. With the help of two humans, one motorcycle, and a girl who smells like the sea, Eli is going to get answers — and earn her freedom.

Review:

I didn't really know what to expect from the description of this book.  But I found the idea of a teen assassin intriguing.  After reading the book, I feel as though I experienced the most exciting vision.  This has a dreamlike quality that reminded me of movies like Pan's Labyrinth in both style and horror.  Add to this a wonderful, non-binary character, and other diverse representation, and you get an imaginative book that was highly entertaining.

What I Liked:

World-building:

Eli travels between two world: The City of Eyes (the world of witches), and The City of Ghosts (Earth).  While the City of Ghosts is mostly like our contemporary world, it also has ghosts.  The City of Eyes is the world of witches, labyrinths, and terrifying creatures.  As most of the action takes place in The City of Eyes, this is the world that is presented most vividly.

I loved the way time and space are not linear in this world.  Eli can be talking to her witch mother in one moment, and then playing hide and seek in The Children's Lair.  It's a place where young witches learn games of trickery and cruelty, waiting for the day they will be admitted to the Coven. 

There are so many unusual places, and creatures that it felt like a nightmarish version of Alice in Wonderland.

Characters:

Eli is such a wonderful character.  While she is strong, she is also vulnerable.  She is constantly worrying if she will be unmade if she makes a mistake. She's actually like a child who worries that her parents' love is conditional on their being who their parents want them to be.  Can she ever be her own person?

Tav is a non-binary human who Eli meets on earth.  For some reason, Tav is able to see ghosts, and maybe even use magic.  This is the first reason Eli is drawn to Tav.  But, Tav is even more complicated than having unusual abilities. They are kind, and have strong friendships and loyalties with others.  Eli yearns for these things too.

Cam is Tav's very likable friend.  I love that this is a fully developed character who is given an interesting story line.  As we get to know Cam, we see a kind and loyal friend who's optimism is much needed.  He's the one in the group who keeps their spirits up, and never gives in to dispair.

Story:

The book is a coming of age story, at least to begin with.  Eli has a lot to prove to her witch mother as she tries to find her place in the City of Eyes.  She is an assassin.  But, when something goes wrong with an assignment, Eli begins to question why she is tasked with killing these ghosts on Earth?

This is where the novel shifts to more of a heist story.  Someone wants the Heart of the Coven.  What is that, and what do they intend to do with it if they get it?  Eli needs to determine each person's motivation and what side she will take.

Diversity:

This book is important because it presents non-binary representation as a normal variation on the human experience.  This is not a book about someone coming to terms with their gender identity.  Tav's gender identity is a given.  I loved this.  Tav is a tough, loyal person who deserves an adventure story!  And this book gives them that, plus an electrifying romance.

Rating:

Release Date:  October 6th, 2020

Author:  Adan Jerreat-Poole 

Publisher:  Dundurn

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Page Length:  320 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-book

Recommendation:  This author is an exciting new voice in YA fantasy.  I highly recommend this book.