4.5 Stars. 
 The romantic triangle was completely unnecessary and a waste of time - but it was a well written and fascinating story. It is set in an alternate realty around 1895. If you are expecting a ton of magic - don't. The book is a story about sisters and a prophesy, it focuses more on the relationships between people and the power struggle within the underground rebellion groups as well as the main conflict between the Brothers who are determined to exterminate witches and take away all of the rights of women. 
 There are a few moments that really do make you think. One particularly ironic line is where the Cate is thinking about how wonderful it would be to live in the Middle East where women were allowed to wear pants and had more freedoms. I often think about how, in our world, it would be awful to live in some of the oppressive conditions of the Middle East - but I never quite thought about how women there may feel seeing our world and being restricted from what we consider to be basic freedoms. 
 It is lovely book with a strong focus on family and the relationships that bind us all together. I do wish that there was a bit more characterization given to the bad guys (Brothers), but I think that they are just supposed to be an omnipresent evil at this point. Overall, I'm really looking forward to the next book.