This book is unique. While it's outwardly a YA fantasy story (which was really good), it unsubtly brings up modern social and controversial issues, and can be interpreted in different ways. The author gets props for doing something so controversial, and while I agree with some and disagree with others, I personally didn't enjoy it, which is why I rated this book three stars instead of four. 
 So the beginning was good. Really good. It pulls readers in to the story's world, painting rich images and setting up potential conflict. I could sympathize with the main character. I can't say for sure what time period the book takes place in resembles, and although it's definitely a world without technology, I noticed that characters use casual language, which played a big part in making it relatable. 
 The main character, Elloren, grows up isolated, away from city life, and gets to go to college, which has many other races (aka species, like humans, faes and elves etc), and everyone's into segregation apparently, so deep segregation and prejudice ensues. She's sheltered and naive, but that's to be expected, and became annoying when she started university. 
 Her first day of university was the first time she steps out of her comfortable social circle and faces the hatred and judgement from people of other races, and I found myself sympathizing with her, and was the only time in the book that I cried alongside the main character. 
 Then after that, the book starts to get less likeable. Elloren's prejudice against other races shows itself, and she becomes judgmental of others in her race and everyone else, while doing the same things. A girl cries just because she has someone of a different race in her class. This deep prejudice stems from religion, which all claim that their respective species are the special chosen ones. 
 This is also the part where religion is portrayed as prejudiced, judgemental and ignorant (which didn't change throughout the story). There's also excessive rasicm, abused women, oppression, and generalizations about other races, which feels a lot like real life. I feel like the character Diana, who doesn't care about conservative views on clothing (did it have anything to do with the feminist movement?), and one of the characters being gay (in reference to lgbt) were also part of the author's opinions. Without all the discrimination in the book from other characters, I wouldn't have cared. But with the disapproval of other characters in the book, I felt like it wasn't mere diversity and that the author was trying (too obviously) to make a point. There's also the fact that the Gardnerian religion, which Elloren follows at first, gives off vibes of Christianity and other religions. 
 There's also a ruler who's focused on enforcing more oppression and more segregation and gains a large following. This part of the book streeeeeetched on for long enough to feel like I was reading the author's viewpoint on modern issues, which wasn't enjoyable. I don't mind reading about prejudice or injustice in fiction, but I do stop enjoying the book as much if it does feel biased or forced in any way. 
 Eventually, Elloren realizes the mistakes of her ways, and becomes more accepting, but I still can't shake off the feeling of the forcefulness. She had SO much prejudice and then all of a sudden she was their bff. The story becomes better than before, but not as good as the beginning. She starts befriending people from other races. 
 A lot of the things that she did in her fictional college could've happened in real life. Even though this was fiction, it was also very plausible in real life (a sheltered upper class person finding out about the oppression in her world?). This played a huge part in making me feel that this book might've been the author's opinions. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe the author wanted to make the book more realistic by bringing in elements or the real world. Perhaps the author wanted to show injustice and ended up with bad writing. I honestly expected this book to veer towards a fantasy side, instead of a social one, and was somewhat disappointed. 
 While there was a love triangle, romance is introduced a but later into the story. The characters do cry a lot though, sometimes over conflicting love and the like. It didn't have the same impact as the first time Elloren cried after facing oppression from her first day at the university. 
 The ending picked up, and we do get to see some action, as well as Elloren finding a more stable ally to back her up. The ending was a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to the next book. Despite the issues of this book, I did enjoy it, though I'm definitely hoping that there will be more fantasy and less of the author making a point.