This review may contain some spoilers, but I will try to keep them to a minimum. 
 The criticism this book has received for containing racism, xenophobia, homophobia and sexism are all accurate. 
 All of that does exist in this book. Because it's supposed to. This book comes from the perspective of a person with a lot of privilege in her society. From someone who has been raised through her religion and society to believe her 'race' is superior to all others. From someone who is in this position and holds these beliefs and then proceeds to work on unlearning them. This story is not about a problematic person getting a redemption arc as certain reviewers have suggested. This story is about unlearning taught prejudices and actively working to change society. Whether or not the main character achieves any sort of redemption at the end of this story, I think, will largely depend upon the reader's own opinion on the matter. 
 All of the instances of racism, xenophobia, sexism, etc. that occur in this book before our main character begins to question her own values and knowledge are, for the most part unchallenged. This has a reason though: to set up the world and the society that our main character exists in. I think it succeeds in that goal and furthermore I think it's okay that it is initially unchallenged. Because the reader is not supposed to be a passive passenger in this story. The reader is expected to pick up on these problematic attributes and find that our main character is indeed problematic and even worthy of hatred. There is no rule out there that says a protagonist must be likable, unproblematic, and/or inherently good. Our main character, Elloren, is racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and sexist. She is. That's not being denied. And that is the whole point. There is hateful and harmful language because there is supposed to be. The author did not shy away from making her world problematic, in all the ways our own world is very problematic. She is, put simply, an unreliable and problematic character. 
 Once Elloren leaves her small town she is exposed to cultures, species, and races that she has only ever heard rumours and stereotypes about. Or that she has only learned about from her religion. From there she is slowly exposed to all of these peoples and she slowly begins to change her own values and perspectives. Some reviewers have complained about how Elloren's problematic language and notions persist throughout much of the book. But unlearning what your own culture and religion has taught you is a process. It takes effort, time, and consideration. It does not happen overnight. And as the book progresses more and more people begin to call Elloren out on her problematic ideas and language, she calls others out as well, and there are frank discussions over stereotypes and ignorance. Elloren even begins to seek out people who will help her understand the disparities she notices between what her people's religion and history say and reality as she is experiencing it. She discusses this with her brothers and then later seeks out a professor at her school for alternative perspectives of history. This book tackled the topic of the subjective nature of history and the idea of a 'Victor's History' so, so well (the historian in me was so proud of this discussion existing in the book so clearly and succinctly). This is also only the first book in a series, there is so much room for Elloren to continue to unlearn all of the prejudice she has been raised to believe. 
 Some major themes and topics explored in this book include and are not limited to: 
 History is subjective. History and religion can be used as a tool to control and manipulate people. The importance of being politically aware ("It's time I start paying attention to what my own government is doing" p. 393). Check your privilege ("You haven't followed politics because you haven't had to" p. 393). Intolerance is taught and can be unlearned. Unlearning prejudice is a process that takes time and action. 
 I understand that some readers might find the themes and language in this book at the very least uncomfortable and more likely downright hurtful. And I respect that. If you think that the kinds of topics that are addressed in this book are not ones that you wish to explore and unpack, then it just might not be the best choice for you. There are plenty of other books in the sea. But, if you are able to read this text critically, to comprehend that fantasy can be used as a lens with which to view our own society, and to explore complicated topics then I highly recommend this book. 
 This novel takes on complex and heavy topics. It does so in an intricate fantasy world, with multifaceted characters and all at a well executed pace. It does not shy away or back down from dealing with topics of racism, xenophobia, sexism, and homophobia. These are difficult topics to unpack and explore and in my opinion the author has done so with grace and detail. Where else but in fiction can we explore such hard and complex topics with relative safety?