So...this was fine. I thought there were some really interesting aspects to the world and the phoenix magic. But I just never bought all the way in. I felt like I was being kept at a distance from the characters.

I thought the choice to write one of the POVs in second person was really strange. It seemed to serve no purpose other than to differentiate between the two female protagonists.

I’m interested enough to possibly read the sequel in a year, this felt like a less brutal, watered-down Hunger Games. I honestly don’t think I’ll think much about this book after today, and I’m not sure that’s fair to the book, but it is what it is.