I've heard mixed things about this book. Some people say it's great. Some people say it's okay. Some people say it's too slow. Everyone agrees it's better than The Black Witch, but that's not what we're talking about right now.

Personally, I loved this book.

L I K E S

- The magic system was well-developed and unique. It went so far beyond the basic elemental magic some stories have, and the whole concept of bone witches and Dark asha was really intriguing to learn about. I liked the spin put on runes, and the heartsglass. Basically, everything was great.

- The world-building was also well-developed. This story takes place in a land with eight different countries/kingdoms, and each had its own history and culture. I will say, though, the index would've been more useful at the front with the map, but even without using it for the majority of the story, I was able to figure everything out quickly enough.

- The asha clothing and food were amazing. I love clothes, so the descriptions of the hua throughout the book were glorious. And even though it was less frequent in the second half, the descriptions of the meals were good enough to make me hungry.

- The relationship between Tea and her brother Fox made me happy. There aren't enough present siblings in YA fantasy, so finding one always makes me smile. Although I have to admit, I liked this particular relationship because I found I liked the two of them together more than I did separately. Oops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (That's not to say they aren't good characters on their own, just that they weren't especially likable.)

- Even though they weren't revealed until the final chapters, those twists were great. I didn't expect them whatsoever.

D I S L I K E S

- Where was the action? There were a few intense scenes, but for the most part this book seemed to be a lot of Tea's asha training and socializing. It wasn't as gripping as I'd hoped, either, which is most likely why it took me longer to read.

- The italic chapters were confusing to me. They felt like spoilers, telling a story that happened in the future and therefore wasn't known by readers yet, but also not matching the real ending of he book. Were they meant to foreshadow? To add an extra layer of intrigue? I'm not sure.

O V E R A L L

This was a good book, without a doubt, but a few things just didn't work for me. However, I still did like it enough to continue the series. That ending was intriguing, even if it didn't make a lot of sense to me, and I want to know more. When the second book comes out, I'll be reading it, even if I don't get to it right away.