3 1/2 stars. A very slow start led to a decent middle and a seriously dramatic page turner of an ending. The world is intriguing, but I found the characterization to be lacking. The only two characters who really interest me so far are Arsinoe and Mirabella. I'm hoping to learn more about Katherine as well as the side characters in the sequel. 
 This was my first Kendare Blake book. I have heard many great things about her writing. The ending was extremely wow-worthy so I am happy to say I will be giving more of her books a shot.