I have... mixed feelings about this book. Like I always do for every book I've read lately. 
 This book didn't blow me away, but it also didn't disappoint me. Though it was good, it didn't make me sit on the edge of my seat, glued to the pages. I just kinda casually read this book. But, it definitely captivated me at points, and I thought the characters, setting, and concept were all very solid and interesting -- and, most importantly, likable. The only thing I didn't like about this book is that the plot was very simple and predictable. There were points where I felt like the author took the easy way out of an arc just for the sake of finishing the book -- especially near the end. (view spoiler)[ An example of this would be the part where Kell defeated Astor by tricking him and having his own magic defeat him. I felt like it was an easy way out of a long fight -- it was really anti-climatic in my opinion. (hide spoiler)] 
 I feel as though the author could have taken this story in a whole other direction instead of the simple "happy ending" that V.E. Schwab chose. But, I loved the concept of the story, the characters were solid, and overall it was a pretty enjoyable book -- so I'm going to add it to my "favorite books" list. I'm going to read the sequel to this book -- hopefully it'll impress me more.