4.5 stars - This was so much better than I expected. 
 I've seen a lot of glowing reviews for this series by my GR friends, but kinda always assumed it wouldn't really be for me, y'know? It would come up on my newsfeed again, I'd read the blurb again and think 'nah'. But a couple of months ago I come across a copy for $4AUD so grabbed it - and I'm so glad I did. 
 I really, really enjoyed it. The world created within the story was so cool and interesting. My biggest complaint about books I don't like is when they're too slow because it takes ages for anything to happen; technically, for the first part of this book, not all that much happens. But it was still so captivating that it didn't feel slow or drawn out at all. I was fascinated, learning about Thaisia and The Others. The characters were likeable, relatable and believably realistic - as much as fantasy characters can be - and they weren't overly romanticised which was good. And it was action-packed by the end. 
 I look forward to reading the next in the series.