The story is very promising and the writing flowed very nicely. I never have an issue with the following of the "Chosen One" trope and I feel that Leigh handled this concept of the book and beginning of the story very well.

My inner conflict and hurdle with ranking this book higher comes with the romantic interests of the protagonist, Alina. One of her interests definitely fits better with the type of the story being told and the way she was whisked away to a new life. However, the other seems to have developed for convenience. It simply didn't seem to fit and left me wishing there was more of the earlier days of Alina and her life growing up and the people she grew up with.

My hopes for continuing the series are that it expands on the world the story is set in, and, continues to revisit existing characters by not relying on new ones to further the plot.