I liked that this had some twist and turns that I wasn't expecting (especially with fantasy), and I absolutely adored the characters. However, I think because of the fact that this was a one-off story everything felt a bit rushed. I think this would have worked better as a duology in order for there to be a bit more world-building and examples of the magical aspects in action. I did enjoy this author though, and will be picking up her other works in the future.