If you like a book with a bit of mystery, a bit of magic, and a young girl finding her confidence as she grows up, you may very well enjoy this book! It's clean and free of any spice. There's no violence, though there is bullying, so just be aware of that.
For me personally, though, this book was just there. It wasn't great, nor was it bad. Don't get me wrong, the writing itself was great. The way the author described things was beautiful, but for me, that isn't enough to make a book great. That's part of it, but it isn't the sole factor. I didn't hate the book, but I also didn't love it.
It felt like it was lacking in some aspects, was repetitive in parts, and confusing in areas, and I was truly disappointed in the ending. I felt like there was so much that could have been expanded upon with how the world was built and what the queen could do. It could have led to a completely different and, in my personal opinion, a more pleasing and interesting ending. Once I figured out where the ending was going, I truly lost interest in finishing the book because I was that disappointed by it. I was so close to the end of the book, though, that I couldn't justify it to myself to put it on my DNF shelf.
It repeated the same topic in some parts a tiny bit, but some might notice as much as I did. It wouldn't have been so bad if Mara's reaction hadn't become the same. It was wonderful to see her progression of confidence, but when her response became the same every time, it got a bit dull. But we love seeing our girl get the confidence that she deserves. So proud of her for that.
The time jumps were a little confusing. I figured them out eventually, but it took a bit of backtracking at times. Jumping to the past to Kyra was easy to keep track of, but with Aza, it was a little confusing. I couldn't tell whether or not I was in the past or present sometimes, which left me a little confused until I figured it out. The same goes for Mara, except it was an issue of how old she was. A label at the top of the chapters for her telling her age would have been nice because, for the life of me, I did not know how old she was in the specific time half of the time.
The characters were alright. Nothing made any of them make me fall in love with them, but there were parts that did make me smile. I was fond of Kyra, though. I'm pretty sure if I got to see more of her, I probably would have loved her. Hated Tara as soon as I saw her, but that was the point. Grew to hate Aza, but that's just me. Some people might not, I just did. I felt sorry for Mara and empathized with her on being bullied from a young age since I was as well. I didn't love her as a character, but I liked her growth. I enjoyed getting to see that.
Overall, the book was alright. I didn't love it or hate it, as I said. The concept was great, but there were parts that I felt could have been expanded on. That being said! Don't be afraid to take a chance on a book that you find interesting just because someone says they don't like it! Everyone has their own personal opinions! You may find the next author that you fall in love with if you take that chance!
Happy reading!