Wow. There is a LOT going on in this book. Family, politics, magic, rebellion, betrayal... It's going to take a bit to wrap my head around it all. Ember does a good job of making the reader think and feel about a lot of things. I really enjoyed the characters, who all were wonderfully complex and dynamic as individuals and in their relationships. I look forward to the second book because there's obviously still a lot of story left to tell.