I actually really enjoyed this. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because it feels more like a rough draft of something that could be something truly amazing. There was a lot of telling the reader rather than showing. I would have liked to see Sayleth turn angry in the competition rather than being told since it seemed like a major part of his character development. Also the love connection happened abruptly. The writing seemed to start to improve more towards the final chapters and everything started to fall into place more seamlessly. It really started to grab my attention and now the ending has me wanting to jump into book 2.

This book pleasantly surprised me. Not knowing anything about it, I went in with a completely blank slate and was immediately excited by the premise: an oppressive government and a girl who wants to escape it. Reading further, I was excited by the original and very creative magic system and a strong supporting cast.

There are three distinct parts to this book, all bringing their own mood and flair to the overall story. For me, the first part was definitely the strongest and what I'm going to remember the most. The second part, the Rite, brought the Hunger Games vibe that was mentioned in the book's description. This part felt a bit formulaic to me; a little more development or explanation would have really gone a long way. The last part, where we start getting into the plot twists, had me locked back in. I saw another review mention that the transitions between each part feel a bit abrupt and I completely agree - having a smoother transition between each section would have definitely helped fill out the story. Throughout the book tensions are high and that can been seen in the characters, but I'm not sure that I fully felt the gravity of the situation through their eyes.

The romance in this book was my one big issue. There was definitely chemistry between the two characters but the emotional moments and romantic build-up were missing. The spice felt sudden and a little unearned, like it was something that needed to be checked off of the to-do list. Because of how dark this book is, I think some emotional moments between the two characters would have made their relationship/physical moments feel a lot more natural.

While there is a lot to like about this book, I think that it could have done with being just a bit longer to smooth out all of the edges. If you're reading this for the promised "Princess Mononoke/Hunger Games/Handmaid's Tale" vibes, all were definitely present.