Better than I expected. Immediately liked the protagonist. In fantasy stories, that’s not usually a given, and I have to grow to like them, or just not mind them. But she felt pretty well-realized and “normal”—up to a point, which was when she settles into her roll at the, more-or-less magic school, and her friend introduces her to magical contraception when its clear a guy is into her. This felt a bit weird because she’s all of thirteen, and I suppose some people become sexually active then, it just felt so naturalized that it created some dissonance, for me, between her capabilities and her, holistically, as a believable character. On the other hand, though this was an issue, I actually didn’t mind the resolution of that B plot, even if, again, the way it was resolved, felt more like the way things play out with older, mature people, rather than teenagers. There’s some work put in as to why the protagonist doesn’t think, feel, act like a teen, due to her upbringing, but I’m not so quick to buy that relationship dynamics playing out like that don’t come from experience and actual development, and not because kids aren’t kids because they’re forced to grow up quickly. But, clearly it wasn’t a sticking point for most people, who absolutely adored this book, as far as I can see. 

As pretty much the ultimate horse girl (power) fantasy, it’s all pretty endearing. Competent world building, introduced only when needed, genuinely kind characters that foster real empathy, and seemingly small stakes that balloon, again, believably and organically from the problems introduced. It’s short, punchy, and like basically all fantasy books in a trilogy, end on a cliffhanger that solely wrap up the through-line, but go no where really near the larger problems of the realm discussed, even if it’s apparent that’s where it’s going.