Wendy was always interesting. I liked how she considered math and reading to be magic and used them to her advantage, believing she was performing this magic herself. She had a terrible upbringing, and it takes her exposure to Miryem’s family and the basic needs they provide for her to realise how a family is supposed to act. It’s only then that she can worry about more than survival and start to feel any kinship towards her brothers. It’s remarkable to see how much she grows and changes when there’s a glimmer of hope and support in her life. With so many twists and turns in her narrative, it wasn’t always easy, but her chapters were always interesting.

Irina may have been my least favourite perspective character, but it took some time for her to become so. There’s a lot of pity at first - she’s very overlooked and undervalued - which does turn to respect as she stands up for herself and finds a way to save herself from a fate even worse than expected. She seems almost selfless in her desire to save those she cares for, but this goal becomes so specific that it blinds her to the consequences of her actions.