I chose this book based entirely on the cover image, without knowing anything about it, and some of the reviews made me wonder if I was going to regret it. However, while it was a slow starter, I enjoyed it overall. I'd have given 3.5 stars if possible. 
 The main character, Kelsea, was well-rounded and interesting, both likeably competent and believably naive - enough to cause herself a lot of problems. There's no romance in this book, although hints of it to come, which was a refreshing change. I do like a bit of romance, but often it feels very rushed, so I'm looking forward to a slow build. I'd also say there's a lot more ambiguity about the potential romance - I feel there's a realistic chance that neither option will be endgame, which would be another refreshing change from the usual. 
 The setting is interesting; on the surface it's sort of medieval but in actual fact it's set in some sort of post-apocalyptic future and it's hinted that other countries have retained more of modern knowledge and technology. I don't know how much of a part that's going to play in the ongoing story, but I'm hopeful that it's relevant and not just some shiny window-dressing. 
 There's a good balance between action and political intrigue. Kelsea ends up very isolated, surrounded by a core of people she hopes she can trust but isn't quite sure, with limited interaction with the rest of the city, and that adds a layer of tension to everything which helped to make it a page-turner once it got going. 
 Down sides: 
 I'm not really feeling the antagonist. She's clearly complex and with motivations yet to be uncovered, but at times I felt if she'd just pulled her finger out and made a bit of effort, it would have been all over. There's no real explanation why she's so reluctant to take on Kelsea, it's all just REASONS, OKAY? 
 Some of the supporting characters I found a little one-dimensional, it seems maybe there's more to them than meets the eye, but the hints we get of it aren't quite enough to satisfy. There's also a few incidents when their actions go a bit out of character in order to drive the plot forward or raise the stakes.