3.5/5

I feel like this started out strong but I started struggling with it by the end. Maybe I'm back in that "I've read a lot of books like each other" sort of mood but this just fell into a lot of the traditional YA fantasy tropes and structure. What I enjoyed the most was the magic but I wanted...more from it? (I'm horrible at figuring out my brain). I love that we got Black rep and I can appreciate having a more traditional YA fantasy with a cast that isn't white. Rep is important.

Rep: Black own voice