A very short novella weighing in at around 120 pages, this contains so much to think about after you leave, and I feel it's a must read for fans of Nettle & Bone. Toadling is a compelling, memorable character that got my attention the moment she started telling her story, and I thought Halim was the perfect person to gently encourage her to admit her secrets.

I loved that it's stated that Toadling and Halim are just ordinary people. They're not seen as attractive, and what's attractive to Toadling is different to the superficial way the people around her see as beautiful. There's an incredible theme of showing that what's under the surface of a person may be very different to the outside.

I love that novellas are having a moment, and if it wasn't for this one, we never would have got What Moves The Dead and Nettle & Bone, so I am so so greatful for it and it's an incredible story in it's own right that is perfectly paced. While I would happily read several (hundred) pages more in this world, I didn't leave feeling I was missing anything.