craving a different execution

I have to echo the majority of other Goodreads reviews I spent at least a half hour reading after finishing this book by saying that the concept is so so so cool, but the execution and plot choices didn't deliver for me as a reader. I was fueled to purchase this novel with no prior knowledge for three main reasons: 1) The enchanting cover, 2) the intriguing dust jacket description, and 3) the fact it was an author's debut novel. I'm all about supporting debuts from my own hopeful standpoint of being published soon, so I sincerely don't regret this read. In fact, I have to applaud so many parts of this debut work while ultimately feeling let down by the final execution because if this is just the beginning of  Medina's contribution to the world of fantasy writing, we're in for a treat (PSA: It's by no means easy to write a book).
What I can applaud about this novel: The worldbuilding. So cool. In fact, maybe the story's coolest element. I have to harp on the confusion I experienced trying to follow the plot (juggling multiple POVs is a feat, but I don't think the choice to juggle multiple POVs with third-person narration and significant time jumps in the middle of chapters worked optimally here). Due to this confusion, I felt myself most drawn into a desire to experience and understand more of the world of the dead gods, how they're worshipped, how they're arguably defiled (ie. Anchor as a product) etc. There's so much fodder for this element of the story to make however far Azul's storyline stretches more intriguing.
Which brings me to characters: I just could not connect with them despite really really wanting to. I wanted to sink my teeth into what I thought would be an explosive romance between Azul and the emissary of the Lord Death, because come on. The fundamental tension between their very beings was ripe soil, but I didn't feel like the fruit grew. Concerning the rest of the cast of characters, I just couldn't keep up, and therefore spent most of my mental reading energy trying to keep them straight rather than becoming invested in who they were.
I genuinely think there are many moving parts to this book that work so well, but because they don't all work together nearly-seamlessly for me as a reader, I won't be continuing to read the rest of this series as it continues.

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