Okay, so since reviews were so polarized on this book I wanted to give it a better treatment than my usual thought jumble review. (Real talk though, it's probably still a thought jumble.) 
 So first off I want to address some common points I saw in other reviews. 
 Firstly, the setting. Many reviewers seemed confused or upset about the time frame of the book. How can it be in the future, but medieval? How is it so low tech, but have a geneticist? How can there be magic? Etc. From how I understood it, the novel takes place in the future on newly discovered land on our world. Some details about the whys and hows this new land came to be or why settlers chose to abandon technology to settle there, but given that the book is set some 300 years after this Crossing and part of a trilogy, I'm allowing for some history to be lost or to be explained later. What matters is that settlers from at least America and Britain chose to abandon their technology (excluding medical tech, which unfortunately was lost on the journey) and restart a new Utopian intended society. To be honest, I wasn't sure why so many people griped over this point, because it doesn't come up very often and felt well weaved into the book's universe. 
 Next, Kelsea's education. Throughout the novel, young queen Kelsea displays a knowledge of history, basic science, etc. Many reviewers seem to have issue with her knowing these things or what would be considered attractive etc because she was raised in isolation. Yes, Kelsea was whisked away to the woods at a year old to be fostered and hidden from those who'd wish to harm the princess before she could take the throne. However, she didn't spend that time wandering the wilderness. Kelsea often touches on how important a factor her education has on the decisions she makes, her foster mother/governess is an intelligent and hard woman who ensures that Kelsea learns the most that she can in her capacity. And then there's the books. At one point Kelsea estimates that approx 20 000 books came over in the Crossing (again attributing to the lost tech) and her foster mother holds a large collection of those, which Kelsea reads voraciously, attributing to her knowledge of the outside world without actually experiencing it. The only thing she is not educated on is her kingdom's recent history i.e the last 20 ish years) at the request of her mother, whose reasoning has yet to, but will hopefully, be explained in the upcoming novels. 
 Okay, those are the main issues I had with the issues that others had with the novel. Let's move on. 
 I enjoyed this book. I really did. Sure, it had a few problems, but what doesn't? The pacing was fast so it didn't feel nearly as long as it was. It established the world (for the most part), introduced all the main characters, and still managed to hold my attention. It is a bit more introspection based, but it's action scenes are wicked actiony. Features the most bad ass coronation that I'd love to see acted out in some sort of historical period Game of Thrones style (I think there are talks of a movie actually?). And most importantly, there is NO ROMANCE. Now I'm a sucker for a good romance, I love them. But we all know that romances in these novels are ridiculously trope filled. It seems like there's the opportunity for one and I could easily see one in the future novels, but this one focuses on Kelsea and her reconciling Kelsea with the Queen of Tear, the reality of her mother with the woman she created in her mind. 
 I would definitely recommend this novel, though I'd caution readers to stick with Kelsea for the first fifty ish pages, which is probably where it feels the most vague and difficult to get through. But make it to the coronation and see how you feel then. 
 4.25-4.5 stars