Publishers Weekly praises "Addison's steampunk-influenced scene-setting and assemblage of characters from all walks of life," observing that they "combine to create a vibrant fantasy world."

The book is characterized as "more spin-off than sequel," and its story as "driven more by character than plot, with Celehar's personal and professional relationships, and unwavering duty to his calling as a Witness, taking center stage."

"[2] Elena Gleason in Booklist calls the book a "welcome return to the world of 2014's Locus Award-winner The Goblin Emperor, with "[t]he urban underbelly setting and myster plot ... giv[ing] it a very different tone from the imperial court intrigue of its predecessor.

She concludes that "the simple pleasure of reading about a kind and quietly competent character who always aims to do the right thing will enchant fans of The Goblin Emperor and new readers alike.

She notes that the author "place[es] emotional integrity at the centre of a plot that takes the reader forward rather than inward [in] novels [that] are empathy-rich fantasies which focus on how what people feel makes them act, not what they wield or how sharp or explosive it is."