She stated in an interview that she wanted to write "what was effectively a closed room mystery in a fantasy setting, as a kind of homage to my two favourite genres of stories growing up.

[2] Jov and Kalina are brother and sister, born to a family of spymasters in the city-state of Silastra who are tasked with protecting the Chancellor from poison.

The book was well received by critics for its portrayal of sibling dynamics, urban fantasy style worldbuilding, intrigue, and representation of disability.

[3][4] Kirkus Reviews called it "A well-crafted debut with believable political intrigues, solid worldbuilding, and original characters.

"[5] Paul Weimer of Tor.com praised the worldbuilding and writing, but felt the ending was "frustrating" in comparison to the first portions of the book.