Actual rating 3.5 stars. 
 I am totally torn on my opinions of this book! On one hand, it is refreshing to see a YA fantasy not completely dominated by an angsty romance, and I also appreciated the interplay between the three sisters this focuses on. The political intrigue was high and the lack of action, promised in the synopsis, did not bother me as I found enough puzzling elements to satiate my desire to be thrilled. The ending was also pleasantly surprising and I found the ulterior twists unprecedented. 
 And now on to the negatives! I felt this lacked proper world building foundations, which often left me at a loss as to why exactly the events unfolded as they did. I also found myself constantly confused as to which character I was focusing on, at any point in the plot. I have no idea why that is, as I have read many a complex fantasy without the same issue. Certain plot points soured my opinion on certain characters, and there was no perfect resolution to these predicaments. That being said, this is only the first in a three-part series and I'd be interested to see how these issues are developed or concluded as the story-line continues. 
 Whilst I appreciated the unique angle of this book, I did have issues that marred my overall enjoyment. This isn't a flawless novel, but is an interesting enough first instalment with enough defining features to make me want to continue with the series.