I admired this story's ambition in showing a relationship divided by war and the two characters on opposite ends. I also really liked the scenes that tied into the movies and the little Easter eggs for fans. However, the world-building wasn't strong enough to convince me of Ciena's desire to stay on the side she ends up choosing, I had trouble taking part of the climax seriously, and because the story spans a long time, it lacks a cohesive, compelling structure. I think this would've worked better as an adult novel by using the main characters' childhoods and time in the academy as flashbacks.