This just didn’t really work for me. I somehow fall outside the target audience for this one and don’t feel I should be giving an opinion since it’s not especially informed. The theme is betrayal which would normally be my bag. The characters were a bit too interchangeable which may be a reader fault since I simply didn’t connect with them. Three stars for writing and plotting but please read other reviews for more coherent opinions.

This novel was not really told for the point of view of Emory, but the first part of the book alternates between Adair, Memphis, and Brokk, even though the description sounds like the book revolves around her. Emory seems like a follower and a bit spoiled and she frustrated me as a character. The first part of the novel shows how the Academy did not succeed as planned by Emory's parents. Betrayal is a common theme in this novel as well as making poor choices. The next part occurs years later. I felt that the description of this novel does not correlate with the flow of the novel. It seems to only tell half a story, when there is so much more.

This book was, unfortunately, not a good fit for me and it left me thoroughly confused. Had I not read that this was a re-release I would think that this was maybe book number two in a series as there was so much I did not get or understand in Part 1! That is not a good sign, especially not if the novel is being re-released, then the story should have been edited to not create this type of confusion for the reader(s). There were so many characters just being presented and handed their own character chapters but made in a this very confusing way, as the chapters were interwoven (that is to say what char1 did in chapter 1 was referenced in char2's chapter).

As I was so confused about what I was reading, I spend the most time figuring out who the character currently presenting their story were rather than actually understanding the story BUT to my understanding this is a sort of 'normal girl falls into fantasy world of which she is a part of the royal family' but there's added backstory before she comes (back?) to the world itself? The time skips in Part 2 made me believe I understood the story more, but then back to utter confusion in Part 3. I also feel like Part 3 was far too short, it just sort of ended on a weird note. Maybe the whole of part 3 should have been put in book 2 instead to make it less flat? I also feel like Part 1 should be the most interesting part, but there was just too much information in the world building for me to have anything to focus on.