I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought Sember was a great character with complex emotions. It was really great to be inside of her head for a little bit.
For me, the pacing was a little slow. I went into this book knowing that, as I had previously read Siena, so I didn't really mind as I knew what I was signing up for. But I just wanted to say that this book isn't as action packed as it's promised to be. It's less about the plague and more about Sember's inner turmoil and longing for acceptance.
The ending seemed a little too good to be true, with all the stars suddenly aligning and everything in the world being right all of a sudden. It didn't detract from the story as whole, but it felt very sudden and abrupt.
Lastly, I wish this series had some more diversity. I understand that people of colour might be hard to encorparate as they'd have to come from a different continent, which would be practically impossible in the time period this is set in, but every single character in this book is white and heterosexual. If not that, then I wish the iceling's culture had been explored more. But the icling tribe seems the same as Foresthome, even though the conditions are extremely different. They even speak the same language. I just think this book could have been a lot more interesting if that was the case, but instead, I just felt like I was reading about the same place but it was a bit colder.
Overall, I think this is a fun book. The world is a little dull but the characters gifts and personalities stopped me from growing bored. If you're looking for a action filled fantasy or a magical world to get lost in, this isn't the book for you. But if you want great characters and very real emotions, I would definitely recommend.