Further, Kirkus Reviews highlighted an ongoing theme in the Wayward Children series regarding how "one’s real or perceived flaws can prove to be a source of strength despite, or even because of, the pain they cause to oneself and others.

Library Journal's Kristi Chadwick generally spotlighted "McGuire’s rich prose",[1] while Booklist's Regina Schroeder highlighted the novel's "magnificent worlds" and "wonderful variety of characters".

[4] Kirkus Reviews praised McGuire's ability to "lending equal richness to her worldbuilding and her characterizations", comparing the Moors to the worlds and fantasies concocted by Bram Stoker (Dracula), Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), and H. P. Lovecraft.

They also noted that the characters feel like "real people dumped into fantastical situations" with a "thin line separating heroes from monsters".

However, they noted that "she reads at such an accelerated pace that listeners may not be able to truly savor the lush beauty of her prose".