This book was a really quick read. While I enjoyed the mystery of the mother, I felt that Simner is more comfortable with short stories and therefore didn't get into as much detail as I would expect about the magic and the war. It was a little confusing about how someone who knew nothing about magic could use it so well later on in the book. 
 On the other hand, it's great to see a YA book that isn't the typical YA book. And the story was very captivating and original.