Quite honestly, I'm not really sure how to rate this book. The world building and the magic system were fascinating. The concept of the magical school and the city it was set in was engaging for the first 100 pages or so, and I wish more of the book would have been set there because I love a good magical school story. However, when they got lost in the forest, they lost me a bit.

And, I think that's because the characters were especially strong. They all kind of fell a bit flat, including Ren, the main narrator. Yes, she's smart, knows a lot, but outside of that, she seemed to only have one emotion the entire time. The romance at the center felt a bit forced because of this, since she only had one goal in mind: revenge.

The story also would have benefited from a bit more editing because the story itself dragged a bit in the middle. Like, there was an urgency to them surviving, but it didn't really feel like it? It's hard to explain. There's room for a sequel at the end of the book, but not sure I'd continue with the series anyway.