Banet delivers grit like few other authors out there. For a story that is distinctively urban fantasy, she incorporates some very real and heavy hitting themes. Everly’s relationship with her master feels as if it’s eerily based on a textbook case of classic domestic abuse, with him twisting her to silence and into aiding the depravity in an attempt to keep her loved ones alive. Reading her story is like listening to battered women describe why they couldn’t leave, because they were trying to keep their pets, children, younger siblings and vulnerable friends alive. The pathology of the abuser and the deep desperation to escape are all captured, albeit skinned in a vampire story. Through it, we see Everly get forged through the fire of horrific experiences into a raw blade of a woman. I really hope this series continues, because I want to see how she grows and finds her strength in the days to come.I’d also like to say just how wonderful it was to have a rare female character who builds computers. Banet skips the gamer girl sex kitten tropes and dives right into a believable character, fully fleshed with idiosyncrasies, flaws, weaknesses, and yet a deep and true sense of loyalty. Everly’s anxiety disorder is an essential part of each decision she makes, which both highlights why she doesn’t see some things and just how incredibly powerful she really is to make the choices she does despite her flaws. She doesn’t understand people, and so she makes mistakes with handling people that are true to character, despite her loyalty and inherently good nature. The character building in this book is really thoughtfully done.