Read: 01/05-01/07

Publication Date: March 19, 2019

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.

Welcome to the Labyrinth.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What I Liked:

I was a little uncertain when I started this book but by the time I finished it there was a lot that I loved about it. I'll start with the setting. I had such a wonderful image of Pinsbury Port in my mind throughout the book. Whenever Rhen was running around it was easy to follow along with her. I would love for the hardcopy of the book to include a hand drawn map of the city and the Labyrinth to add to these images. The characters were all great. While a few seemed slightly one-sided or predictable the majority were done well. I especially loved Rhen as the main character. She was a science loving and goal driven main character who was not perfect. You could understand her struggles and it was great to watch her grow and learn that she deserved more than what she was being handed. Lute was an excellent pick for her love interest. I absolutely LOVED every scene that included him. Their chemistry was great so it was easy to root for them. He also never got in the way of her achieving her dreams which is a wonderful message for YA books to share. We need more love stories like Lute and Rhen.

The other thing I liked about this book was it didn't shame the girls who had different goals than Rhen. Her cousin, and best friend, wanted to get married and start a family. However, this didn't keep her from being any less goal driven or strong. Young girls need to know it's okay if their interests are different from their friends. They also need to know that they should support their friends no matter the difference. The relationship between Rhen and Seleni shows this well in the book. We need more books that show that whatever dreams you have, you should go for them and that is okay.

What I Disliked:

It took a while for the book to get to the actual Labyrinth, like over halfway through the book, which was a little disappointing. I had expected more time in it so I felt a little let down. It also made what scenes were in the Labyrinth feel slightly rushed. It was understandable why it took so long, there was a lot of background stories and character building that needed to happen before the Labyrinth scenes. There were two twists in the book and one was fairly easy to figure out but one I did not see coming. The ending also had some parts that felt as if they were wrapped up quickly while others were dragged out.

Overall though I think this book might fly under a lot of people's radars when it gets released so I encourage you to pick it up and give it a shot! It is definitely a hidden gem.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Rating: 9/10

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*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am in love with this book!!!!
I couldn't stop reading it and omg it is such an ode to all the girls and the fact that we should not listen to people saying we are not capable of doing something.
I feel empowered!! Never read a book so quickly and felt so proud.
I must have a physical copy asap

This book was insanely good. It definitely had an Alice in Wonderland feel with a good dose of feminism and squashing of misogyny. I loved the inclusion of those with special needs as people with special needs are never represented in books. The main character has dyslexia. I really hope it is optioned for a movie later on, it would be absolutely amazing!

2.5 stars

I’ve been looking forward to this book for some time, but it didn’t quite hit all the marks I’d hoped it would. I found it to be "okay." It’s wonderful to see females fighting for equality and what they believe in. That’s a hope-filled message that is really needed in today’s society (even though this story didn’t feel like it was taking place in the present day). It reminded me a bit of some other books on the market in the fact that there were tests/challenges to pass, knowing that everyone would not survive. I found it slow to engage, with a bit too much focus on the fact that there’s an incurable disease for which Rhen’s trying to find a cure. The labyrinth seems to be a small part of the book, though I originally thought it was supposed to be more of a key point in the story. The world building is good, but I had expected a bit more with the character development, as some felt a bit flat compared to other books I’ve read in this genre. The ending was a bit predictable.

I did find the premise interesting and the writing strong overall. I enjoyed the parts about the labyrinth and the challenges. (I wish there had been more on that.) It just felt like too much time was spent on the first half, making the second half feel rushed at times. Perhaps it would’ve worked better as two books. I loved the cover a bit more than the story, though I did find Rhen to be a strong leading lady. I also liked the combo of fantasy, mystery, and a hint of romance.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, but I wasn’t required to leave a positive review.

3.5 stars

In a world that is dominated by the patriarchy, Rhen is determined to break those norms by becoming a scientist, finding a cure for her sick mother, and competing in a game that has previously only allowed males. Rhen faces backlash from those that would see her become the supportive wife that society expects her to be. But Rhen won’t stop until she is seen as an equal.

The message of this book is one that is extremely important, especially in today’s society. I’m fairly certain that this book takes place in the 1800-1900’s, and it’s encouraging to see women fighting for equality. I think this story can give today’s women hope that equality can be established and that we can live in unity with everyone.

I also liked the dynamic of the Labyrinth and the tests the contestants had to pass. I thought that each challenge revealed new ideals and morals for each of the characters and showed how much they were willing to sacrifice in order to win the game.

However, I felt like the book took too long to get to the Labyrinth. The first half of the book is establishing that there is a seemingly incurable disease, Rhen’s fight to find a cure, and establish how strong the patriarchy is in this world. The part actually spent in the Labyrinth is very short, considering that it is marketed as a main point of the book. I feel like if some scenes had been cut from the beginning and more time was spent exploring the Labyrinth, then I would have enjoyed the book more.

Also, I felt like the characters were kind of flat. Most of the boys were misogynistic and selfish while the two main girls fought against their prejudice. Granted, there were some male characters that were supportive of Rhen and Seleni’s decision to enter the Labyrinth, but everyone felt the same to me. At one point, the Labyrinth asks the contestants, “What do you want?” and while Rhen answered this question for herself, I felt like her answers were obvious and didn’t develop her character.

Overall, To Best the Boys has an important message that needs to be shared. The setting is unique and the challenges presented are interesting to read about. But I think a stronger plot and more developed characters would make this book even better. If you are looking for strong female characters, definitely give To Best the Boys by Mary Weber a shot!

Okay, wow! There is so much to say about To best the Boys and much like the book I'll try to pack as much as I can in a limited space.

Pros:
- I loved Rhen, I thought she was the perfect main character! (YAY Queen)
- Loved the complex relationships between the characters (friendships, etc.)
- Mr.Holm! (We see you!)
- SCIENCE!
- The labyrinth is so so so so cool!
- The writing is really good, like really good y'all!

Cons (Where I have the same con just laid out 3 times):

- This book tries to do too many things at once, and sometimes part of the story falls short (It doesn't really matter anyways because the story keeps you hooked) but seriously this could have been split into a duology and it would have been a better fit.

- Other than the main character Rhen, I didn't really feel like I got to know the other characters really

- This book is heavily centred about the story itself so the world building becomes a little muddled. I wish we had more time to get settled.


Overall, I loved this book! So glad I was able to get my hands on an E-ARC (Thanks Edelweiss!). I think everyone will love this book, my only down side is that there really isn't enough of this book to go around and I want more!!

This was a quick, feminist fantasy read that hits all the YA fantasy tropes you would expect, but does it well. The writing is excellent and the world is well developed. Readers will love Rhen from the first page and root for her. I hope there are more adventures planned for her as this book left me wanting more of her story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To Best the Boys is a novel that follows our protagonist Rhen Tellur, a girl raised in a sexist society who wants nothing more than to be a scientist and to find a cure for her mother’s deadly illness. She is raised amongst the Lowers, the lower class of people in her kingdom, but unlike her Lower peers, she often hangs around with the Uppers (the higher class) due to her rich cousin and best friend, Seleni. Every year, there is a dangerous competition held by the mysterious Mr. Holm, in which boys of university age can compete in Holm’s Labyrinth to win a scholarship to the most prestigious university in the kingdom. As Rhen’s mother’s illness grows worse and the Upper politicians refuse to study its roots, Rhen grows desperate and enters the competition with Seleni while disguised as a boy.

I rated this book 3/5 stars.

Truthfully, I think this book’s greatest flaw was its length and pacing. It felt too short to properly convey the story it was trying to tell. None of the characters, save for Rhen and Seleni, felt real or fleshed out. The start of the novel was quite slow and it just dragged on forever, meanwhile so many things happened in the second half. This may be my own fault, but I feel partially misled by the description. I was expecting this novel to be about a high-stakes competition that was emotional and action-packed, instead it was mostly Rhen’s internal struggles. The actual competition took up less than half of the book and did not feel very dangerous or high-stakes. It wasn’t necessarily bad, just not what I was expecting. There were, however, plenty of things I enjoyed about the book that had little to do with the competition. I liked how we got to see how the Uppers influenced the Lowers and some of the tension there. The tension between the two classes was probably my favourite part of the novel and I feel like it was done very well. Rhen’s whole family dynamic was also very nice. Also, the book kept me engaged, even if some parts did drag.

As I mentioned previously, none of the characters felt real. Beryll felt like he was there simply to be Seleni’s awkward boyfriend. Lute felt very bland, he had zero personality and was just there to be a love interest. Rubin and Germain felt like the same person to me, they were just there to cause trouble. I do have to say that I did very much enjoy Seleni and Rhen. Seleni was probably my favourite character of the novel, she was so supportive of Rhen and her goals, but also stood her ground. I really like how she wanted the life typical of females in her society, such as being a wife and mother, but was never called stupid for it. She defended her right to want that life for herself, and I really loved her character for that. I also enjoyed Rhen’s character (albeit a little less). I really felt for her in some moments and I admired her aspirations and the way she stood up for herself. She also has dyslexia, which is a cool thing to see in YA! I do feel like she could be a little condescending, but overall I liked her.

The romance was very bland in my opinion, it just didn’t feel developed. I understand that Rhen and Lute had history together, but we didn’t see enough of them on-page to establish a relationship. They also had no chemistry and were generally boring to read about.

Overall, To Best the Boys was an okay book for me. There were plenty of things I enjoyed about it, but other things that I feel brought the book down. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested about reading about the struggles of two girls in a sexist society, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for an action filled YA fantasy.

Well butter my biscuit, we have one heck of a book!

Not giving too much away because I'm a firm believe going into any book not knowing much is the best experience, we're following a name Rhen who is basically a scientist. Yup. A SCIENTIST! Grab ya wallet, grab ya credit card, grab ya preorder. Okay, back to the plot. She refuses to fit the small space the world leaves for her. Like the academy where only boys are aloud to attend and girls are expected to just marry and make babies and cook and clean and BLAH! Unfortunately her mother has fallen ill to a disease spreading amongst her people and Rhen wants to help her father find a cure. The only way to even have that chance is to compete in the Labyrinth where only boys are allowed and get a spot at the academy!

The prose was simply lovely. No matter how eager I was to turn pages after pages, I had to pause once in a while so I can reread some passages that were just beautiful. There were plenty of WTF moments, swoon-worthy moments, hair pulling moments, awe-inspiring moments and gasp-inducing moments. The ending was all of these combined. In truth, Mary Weber has a dangerous persona that concerns me, yet I'm beyond excited to read the next installment.

Highly unpredictable, imaginative and vividly woven, this book is the reason why I am reading fantasy novels.

I really enjoyed this book! Hunger Games-ish, without the totally messed up society, along with the theme that girls can be and do anything. The characters were likable and the setting was fun. Definitely recommend!

“I’m just tired of feeling like the way things are is the only way they can ever be” (136).

Rhen Tellur lives in a world of limitations. She is bound by her gender and by her class in a society that—despite its fantasy roots—feels all too real. Mary Weber’s standalone young adult novel To Best the Boys is a delight.

The premise centers on an annual competition: the boys of Pinsbury Point enter a labyrinth and vie to be the first to exit. The winner receives a full scholarship to Stemwick Men’s University. This opportunity is open to both the Uppers and the Lowers, the two classes in the kingdom of Caldon, and so it’s an equal chance for boys—but only for boys—to grab on to a potentially life-changing education.

At the opening of the novel, Rhen, the daughter of an Upper society mother and a Lower father, is fighting with her Da to find a cure for a crippling illness that is afflicting residents, including her mother, of Lower villages. She yearns to be seen by those in power, the ones who could make a difference for those who are suffering. She dreams of breaking out of the cage of her gender, which seems to have sentenced her to—at best—a life as a politician’s wife without choices who must hide her intelligence and scientific aptitude. She pines for Lute, a fisherman who wants only to care for his family and to make a simple living.

With her cousin Seleni, a member of Upper society, Rhen does her best to work toward each of these goals while respecting the bounds of her world. There is, however, a catalyst that causes her to make a leap, disguise herself as a boy, and enter the Labyrinth. To Best the Boys reminded me, at different times, of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, but it establishes a new angle on that YA trend.

Weber’s world building here is just brilliant, juxtaposing the science that consumes Rhen with a fantasy world containing sirens, ghouls, and basilisks. I so appreciated Rhen’s coming of age as she struggles to define who she is in a society that gives women few choices. Weber balances Rhen’s personality with her cousin Seleni’s desires, and we see Seleni focusing on a quite different life for herself. The right to carve one’s path, regardless of what that path is, is a major theme in the novel.

The writing is strong, and I found myself marking quotations and beautiful phrasing throughout the book. The book’s strength doesn’t lie in surprises—I found this type of plot, including the quest within the labyrinth, Rhen’s self discovery, and the romantic relationships, to be fairly predictable. Instead, the quality of the details of world and of the character distinguish this book from others like it.

A strong standalone novel that is both rich and complete, Mary Weber’s To Best the Boys will satisfy readers seeking fantasy, action, and some excellent feminism. Great YA read!

Thanks to NetGalley and @TNZFiction (#partner) for my free copy of this beautiful book.

#ToBestTheBoys #NetGalley

This book started out slow for me, kind of like trying to learn to swim, you just have to adjust and then you are fine. I am not sure where in the book was the turning point but it went from treading water to Olympic swimming in no time. This book may start slow, but it grows and blooms into a book that you can't put down. I love the relationship between Lute and Rhen. I love Rhen's character. How smart she is, how she loves her family, how she is a value and recognized in a world against her. Wonderful book!!


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

Before I get too excited with my opinions, this novel focuses on the life of Rhen Tellur. She is a precocious and fiercely independent seventeen-year-old girl whose entire life mission is to bury herself in scientific experiments with her father to find a cure to a disease that is not only ravaging her community but her mother as well. Rhen realizes that their combined efforts are futile whilst using the rudimentary laboratory equipment and supplies she has access to, so she formulates a plan to disguise herself as a boy to enter the labyrinth competition for a prestigious scholarship to attend the all-male Stemwick University, which is sponsored by the mysterious and magical Mr. Holm (who is financially endowed).

I needed this book on so many levels. Rhen desires more than anything to prove herself as a scientist regardless of the fact that she is from a lower class and also a female. (Two things that painstakingly hit home for me.) She does not allow herself to be swept away by the voracious lifestyles of the upper echelon. Rhen only wants society to respect her for her mind and contributions (swoon!).

As far as my critiques go, this book is a slow builder. The first half of the story lays the foundation for Rhen’s character. You see her digging into the chest cavity of a cadaver, analyzing blood smears under a microscope, and analyzing concoctions to be injected into her rat subject, Lady. I think to most, this is the boring part since it’s more technical but without much “action”. As a fellow scientist, I was gripping my seat to know the compositions of her solutions and the findings under her microscope, but hey, not for everyone. Once Rhen enters the labyrinth, I could not read the pages fast enough. So much action happens in such a short time span, which left my head spinning trying to comprehend what I read. The assumptions that I had about other characters and the conclusion was not at all what I expected. This book is what girls who aspire to dream big in the stem fields have been waiting for. Bravo Mary Weber. This was truly an inspiring and heartfelt read.

My recommendation: 5/5 stars. If you know a girl who wants to know if she can survive in male dominated fields, give her this book!

Another fantastic by Mary Weber! This book was difficult to put down. I loved the fact that it was a cross between The Hunger Games (although without the death parts) and a magical escape room game. The characters are well fleshed out and I was hooked from the first page. Solid character motivation drove the book straight through to the end. Plus, who doesn’t want to read about girls standing up to societal stereotypes and breaking the mold? Rhen is definitely a strong, intelligent role-model. I enjoyed seeing Seleni come out of her shell and grow beyond what society expected, too. This is a clean YA fantasy adventure that I would recommend to ALL teens—boys included!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I first saw Mary Weber’s To Best The Boys on Netgalley, I immediately requested it because the summary of the book excited me in it’s description of a fantasy world heavily crossed with social/cultural aspects of our world today.

To Best The Boys is about a Rhen, a Lower girl who lives in the small kingdom of Pinsbury Port, a place that holds the annual competition for of age males to win a place at the prestigious Stemwick University at the highest importance. Tired of the traditional gender role values and the divide between the Lower and Upper (poor and rich) that hinder her dream of becoming a scientist and desperate to find a cure to the disease that is killing many of the Lower population including her Mum, Rhen decides she finally needs to take action and enters the Labyrinth to prove that she is just as good as any of the male competitors. But the people in the city are not quite ready to change their traditional social views…

Mary Weber’s portrayal of gender roles and the heirachy of the populace in terms of its social structure and value of the wealthy is even more compelling wihin the fantasy setting of Pinsbury Port, which includes magical/supernatural creatures such as ghouls and Basilisks and a touch of other magic, particularly in regards to Mr Holm, the overseer of the competition. The balance between the fantasy aspects in the setting and the social issues that are relevant in our society is compelling and entertaining.

As is the story and it’s characters. Rhen’s narration is readable and snappy. She is a witty and engaging character to follow as she sets out to make changes to her place in the world and to understand the needs of others close to her. Her cousin Seleni and the differences between them were really great to read. I found their relationship enjoyable because it showed how despite having different values, perspective and dreams, people can work alongside each other and support each other and that’s a really important element of a working society. Rhen’s relationship with a number of male characters was also really interesting and fun parts of the story. In particular, I enjoyed the scenes between Rhen and a certain character; their relationship was certainly a highlight for me.

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the slow build of the novel as Weber set up the world and introduced the characters and I really enjoyed the events of the competition and the aftermath. However, I felt that because most of the novel is only set over a couple days, there wasn’t quite enough set up and some elements of the plot felt rushed. I felt like I could’ve done with more build up, even more development of character over a longer period and perhaps even a lengthier version of the story. I just felt like I wanted more!

That said, To Best The Boys is a great read and very entertaining. I was enthralled by the story and always excited to find out what might happen next. I would definitely recommend picking up this book when it’s published and I plan to do the same.

This ARC was given by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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This book was very hard to get into. Straight off the bat, the dedication page was not a very good way to start off the book in my opinion.

I was hoping for a fun and riveting ride of a story, but I had to give up when the protagonist found herself staring too hard at a dreamy boy.

I might continue this in the future but for now I'm not particularly interested in picking this up again.

— DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Many thanks for this opportunity! —

Rhun is your average teenage girl in a rigid world reminiscent of the nineteenth-century. Well, except for her fondness for cadavers and a desire to study medicine. On a whim, she decides to enter a local contest for a scholarship to the (all male) unversity, realizing that the contest doesn’t actually specify any kind of gender...
Oh, what a wonderful fuck you to the patriarchy this book is! Without discussing modern issues directly, Mary Weber manages to evoke social struggles women still face - to a lesser extent than Rhun does in the story - today. On top of these fantastic messages, the story is well-written, in a way where every piece of the puzzle fits together exactly as they are supposed to. The characters all have their intrinsic motivation to be part of the story, which is rare, and one of my favourite things to discover about a book. The plot is driven, with little unnecessary fluff or padding, and connects together nicely.

Full review under https://libridraconis.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/to-best-the-boys-mary-weber/

To Best the Boys was a pretty good read by Mary Weber. I give it four stars and recommend it to other readers.

This is a 3.5 star book, but I'm rounding to 4 stars because I can.

This is actually my first book by Mary Weber (shameful, right? For shame, Faith!), and so I had no expectations whatsoever going in. I have a lot of friends who like this author, and I thought she was--okay? Pretty good? (Please don't kill me for not instantly jumping on the bandwagon! I need time to think! XD)

But anyway...let's review this thing.

LIKES:
-BERYLL. At first when he started screaming I was like "Is it a banshee or something?" but no. It's a guy. And Beryll is like the sweetest, yet still hardcore, guy in the world. I loved him SO MUCH. Definitely takes the spot for my favorite character from this book.

-Seleni. Yes, I liked Seleni better than Rhen, but only slightly. But the thing is--Seleni is that girl we've all been waiting for. She dresses up like a boy, disguises her voice, and goes into the maze with Rhen--but she didn't cut her hair because she liked her curls and wanted to keep them. She wasn't afraid of getting dirty, but she loved pretty dresses. She wasn't afraid of a dip in the sea, but she knew when was the proper time to do it. She braved the maze, one of the two first women to do so--but she wasn't interested in uni, she just wanted to do the right thing, protect her people, and hopefully end up getting her guy. She had so many dynamics and was so complex and I LOOOOOVED that.

-Beryll and Seleni. Because that ship was amazing. Top OTP of this book.

-Rhen was pretty cool too. She was dyslexic, per the author's note! And she was a scientist! And I loved that! Her personality started out not that different from most other YA girls, but by the end I was rooting for her and really enjoyed her journey. <3

-HURRAY FOR A YA BOOK WITH TWO PARENTS WHO BOTH LOVE THEIR DAUGHTER AND WHO LOVE EACH OTHER AND ARE JUST GREAT SUPPORTIVE PARENTS!

-The descriptions of the sea were really beautiful.

-The ending! No spoilers here, but since this is a standalone (I think), some plot threads had to get wrapped up nicely whilst others weren't resolved. And I loved the way that was done in this story. The right stuff was wrapped up, the stuff that didn't need to be stayed hanging, and there were enough questions to make room for a sequel while a sequel is still not REQUIRED. Perfect.

LESS LOVES
-The maze--I don't know, for some reason it didn't really feel intense enough? At least for me? I feel like I've read similar sequences a thousand times and it was just sort of the same thing all over again.

-Personal peeve here, but the whole villain thing, the true culprit of the book? EVERY SINGLE BOOK DOES THIS. And I understand why, but like...is it too much to ask to make the guy who's seemed bad the whole time be the bad guy? Or to NOT have a twist villain? I don't know, it just didn't work for me.

-Holm's identity. I wasn't expecting it, but again, I did not particularly appreciate it.

-The worldbuilding felt a little...bizarre. I guess that's just what you get for having a world where monsters are the norm, though. :P

OVERALL
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. I enjoyed this! Not as much as I was hoping to, but about as much as I expected to, and it was worth the read. If you like Mary Weber, you're looking for a story of female empowerment, or you want a labyrinth story, pick this one up. :D

This novel felt like a mix between a few popular sci-fi and fantasy novels that have already come out. However, that's not to say that it's not worth the read. I believe it takes the things that people seem to love in a YA fantasy and incorporates them all into one book. Given the mannerisms and culture presented in the book, it reads almost like a Regency Era novel. The romance is purposefully predictable but sweet; no unnessecary drama for the sake of suspense. More like a slight "starcrossed lovers" situation. And the main character is intelligent and awkward at times, which makes her relatable and also provides comic relief that doesnt seem out of place. She is also determined and ambitious without seeming impossibly arrogant and stubborn. The one thing that I do have to question though is the placement of the trials within the story. It felt as if most of the book took place outside of the trials that the boys (and girls) were supposed to attend, when I had expected for most of the story to follow them as they went through the trials. It felt a little short-lived. All-in-all, I would love to read a sequel expanding on the Rhen's time at the University, as well as her relationship with the boy she left behind.