I had heard a lot of good things about this book, but also a few bad ones and so I was kind of torn when I picked this up. And now that I'm finished I have to admit that I still am torn in my opinion about this book.

Personally, I really enjoyed the world building, but it was just not explored enough to really work. We got some hints at its history here and there, but far too little to really build a real story. We only find out why Denna has that power really late in the book and until then you are left wondering. And even then there is no explanation for her being so special. I would be more satisfied with the world building if there was be a sequel or something, but like this, it sadly only hints at its full potential without ever reaching it, which is a grave disappointment because the idea is super interesting.

I did really like their relationship after they got over their initial dislike for each other, which was more based on how other people perceived them than how they perceived each other. I also really liked that we got quite a bit of commentary on arranged marriages like this and how true love is very unlikely to be found there. I definitely also understood why they didn't just come out with it and tell everyone, it could have easily put them at danger at court. Even though the court wasn't openly homophobic, Denna was to marry the prince and having been raised for that one thing definitely wouldn't make it easy to simply tell everyone about their love, when even without the added danger of magic it could easily end up with them banished from court and shunned by their families. I would have liked fo this dilemma of duty and love to be explored a bit more though.

I liked Denna and her struggle with magic and what her heart wanted versus what her head told her was her duty. I also enjoyed her relationship with Ellaeni, but I wish we had seen more of her.

Mare was also a character I liked. She is a very tomboyish girl, loves riding, stealing out of the castle and she is definitely not your typical princess. But unlike other not-your-typical-princess types, she manages to pull this off without constantly hating on girls who do like pretty dresses and who want to get married and who are your typical princess stereotype and this made the trope much better to read for me. But despite half the novel being told from her perspective, she didn't really have a lot of depth, when the potential would have been there.

In the end, this book has a lot of great ideas, great relationships and nice characters, but their full potential is never explored and this is really frustrating. All in all, it is an okay book, but definitely didn't blow me away.