Actual rating: 3.5
I enjoyed Havenfall. The writing flows, the characters are fun, and the plot, while fast paced, is still really engaging. There were many moments were the story took unexpected turns and, while there was a lot going on at the same time in a short amount of time, it was never cumbersome or too much. The world is great; the different realms and magic? Absolutely fascinating and I would love for Holland to dive into it further in the sequels.

My issues with this book stem from the main character being 16 but acting and being treated as if she were older. If she didn't periodically remind me of her age, I would've forgotten it early on. The second issue I had was the foreshadowing of the plot. Holland goes heavy on it, so much so that it's hard to be surprised when a certain element is revealed.

An example: In the first few chapters there is an insistance on the locked door and how well it's sealed etc. So, obviously, that door unlocks and kickstarts the plot.
Another example is Terran. The name was very on the nose so it was obvious from the beginning that he, and by extension Taya, weren't human.

All in all, a good book. I'm excited for the sequel to come out.