📚 Rin is an incredible protagonist. She's more than just your plucky heroine - she's continually making mistakes and learning (and sometimes not learning) and it's fantastic to see a woman character allowed to act that way.
📚 It's also amazing to read an epic fantasy story based on real history that isn't European history.
📚 I loved that every character learned and grew and changed, often after learning more about people different from them.
📚 This world is so layered and detailed, and the characters struggle with really big questions brought on by the social and political intricacies of the story.
📚 Some of the writing was a little heavy handed, but I feel like that can be attributed to the fact that the author was SO YOUNG when she wrote this (seriously, how?)
📚 It's extremely graphic. I guess that's not necessarily a dislike, more like a warning. Everyone will tell you how grim this book is, take them seriously.