I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the whimsy and magic of this book! It definitely gave me some serious Harry Potter vibes, but with a unique take on a world of royals and scrivenists, entertaining characters, new creatures and wondrous places.
There were a few times I found myself confused, wishing for some more world-building to explain the way the political and magical system worked. Sometimes I had questions that I felt were skimmed over, or moments in character dialogue that were interrupted or dropped, when I felt the characters would have questioned or spoken more. It made me a little confused about the passage of time in areas.
Overall, it was an engrossing read, and the more the world developed and was explained, the more I wanted to experience it and learn even more! I want to know what becomes of Ivy and her friends, whom I hope to get to know more in book 2.
Rachel L. Schade 