The female protagonist was extremely well written. Her history with abuse, how it makes her feel both defeated and starved for the attention, her growth into a more mature, trusting young woman, all great. The unique metal-burning magic system, great. But the plot was too simple, and the other characters too one note. Lots of pieces are repeated over and over... This book did not have to be 600 pages long, and should not be considered regular fantasy. It's YA fantasy at best, and there are better YA's out there. Sorry fans :/. I get the appeal, but it didn't resonate with me.