Uhhhhh 4.5?? 
 So it took me a hot minute to get into this book, not going to lie. The first book was a hard read for me, too, but I knew it had great potential if I could just wrap my mind around the world-building and story line. But I FIGURED IT OUT in this one!!! Ugh, it was pretty great, not going to lie. Once I got over the 25% mark, I couldn't put it down and I never wanted it to end, which was a good thing because this was no short story. I love the cut-throat-thief-turned-wizard-slash-honorable-person Han who had to keep his knives sharp just to protect himself. Dancer didn't show up too much after the beginning of the story, unfortunately, but he was still an enjoyable supporting character who keeps his head up despite the prejudice that he has to deal with everywhere he turns in Oden's Ford. And Raisa, man. She is a great heroine, strong and thoughtful, and far too young to deal with the political mess she's going to get herself into once she returns to the throne. She's not without her faults, though, and it seems like she falls in love with boys everywhere she goes. The classic love triangle appears, although it didn't rankle me as much in this story. I think it's because I always though the one (view spoiler)[Amon (hide spoiler)] relationship would never ever be possible and I'm totally proven right. I don't know. It just never felt right for them to be together. And then when she finds the second boy (view spoiler)[Han (hide spoiler)] it just kind of feels right and she lets it happen, even though she figures out that she is in love with two guys, which happens, honestly. But she isn't fighting over which boy she loves and which one is right for her because she is the heir to the throne and she knows that any marriage she enters into will most likely be a political one. So really, she's just being a teenager. Maybe it's just me??? 
 Things I loved: 
 -Queendom!!! MORE OF THIS PLEASE!! 
 -The LESBIAN RELATIONSHIP THAT IS SO CASUALLY MENTIONED! I'll have twenty! Seriously, this was brushed over so quickly that I almost missed it, but I loved that it was thrown in there to begin with. It's NEVER in fantasy series and I totally appreciate the diversity that Chima accomplishes in this series. 
 -The characters and their stories 
 -Raisa learning that love doesn't conquer all (it's a lesson we all have to learn...) 
 -DIVERSITY!!!! 
 -The characters going through school and throwing themselves into learning new things/bettering themselves 
 -The part where they cross from the queendom into a neighboring kingdom and they're all like... they only let MEN be priests??? So what do the expect the women to do, just sit and pray????? HAHAHA. No but really, the digs at our society were UNREAL and I LOVED IT. WHY do women have to be second best? WE DON'T and this book helps to turn society all topsy-turvy and it's great. 
 Things that bothered me: 
 -The lack of language involved in the story -- the readers are only told that the characters are speaking another language. We never learn any different words/phrases, really, besides English slang. 
 -The lack of SPELLS/CHARMS??? I wish it was more like Harry Potter in this sense, where we know leviosa means to lift something up. In this book, we're only told that Han says a charm and something magical happens. Ugh, language!! 
 -The abrupt ending. After hundreds of pages of slow and steady, the end comes about with a few different plot twists that are like.... uhh..... okay???? 
 All in all, a tremendous story. I can't wait to get the next one.