Actual rating: 4.5 
 The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas is one of the best all around books I've read in a while, and certainly one of the best in the fantasy genre. Thinking back to while I was reading it, there was never a lull in the pacing or moments where I felt it needed huge improvement. 
 To start off, the two protagonists, Iolanthe and Prince Titus, were, hands down, the best thing about the book. The two have great chemistry together and perfect the love/hate relationship. Both are super smart, book and street wise, and it allowed them to have humourous banter, as well as deep, intellectual conversations. Iolanthe takes on a more aggressive, impulsive role of the two, while Titus is more calculating and emotional. Their romance is one that builds slowly throughout the book and has you anticipating and eager to see them finally recognize their unspoken feelings about each other. 
 The writing is also another strong point for the book. Thomas's writing is simply magical, pun intended. Her ability to create such an extensive and original world is amazing, as well creating characters that I felt were 100% genuine in every aspect. 
 The only qualm I had with the book, albeit it being a very small one, had to do with the world building. While Thomas did an excellent job creating such an original setting, it was slightly confusing at times. There is just so much information about it all at once that it definitely left me feeling like I missed some things, especially in the beginning. However, everything else about the novel pushed these worries to the side, and everything did start to make more sense as the story progressed. 
 Overall, an amazing, amazing story. Crossing over from adult romance to young adult fantasy is no small feat and is potentially disastrous, but Thomas was able to do it expertly and I have no doubts that this is going to be one of the best YA fantasy series in a while.