Rereading an old favourite for the first time in a long time can be so risky, but I'm so glad to say I still love it!

I think it does take a while to get good. There's the time needed to introduce all the characters and set up the world, so I was a bit nervous in the first quarter when it wasn't overly exciting lol. But once Po comes on the scene, seeing Katsa's friendship with him develop and the drama!! Ugh so good. Their relationship feels like the centre of gravity of the book as they learn to trust each other and understand each other in ways that no one else could. I love them so much!!!

The plot takes so many twists and turns and requires the characters to do a lot of problem solving and strategising, that at times it felt more like a thriller which I think is what makes this book feel so unique compared to other YA fantasy of the time. Sure, nowadays we have other stuff like Holly Black's Folk of the Air trilogy, but in 2008 not so much. It's part psychological, part survival, part political intrigue, part spy/assassin.

I also forgot just how GNC Katsa is and I love it. I think GNC rep, especially GNC women rep is so lacking even today fifteen years later. Apart from even that aspect, she's so wildly different from any other character I've read. Her preoccupation with survival and free will at all costs is very powerful. She experiences the complexities of self-sufficiency vs love and friendship and learns to overcome her blind-spots and move closer to finding out who she wants to be rather than who she's been forced to be.