Admittedly, even as an Indian American, the summary was a bit of a turn off for me. Stages of ascension, and our hero is somehow pure and trying to get back "below"? Seemed a bit too weird for my tastes. But, as it turns out, I think the summary is doing the book a disservice.
From what I can tell, Vora has a much more straightforward magic system than initially suggested. You have your "pure" upper classes, and the destitute lower classes. And you have a main character, who defying expectations, ends up in the upper classes. How she handles that change is the story. So, a far more standard YA system, although with interesting origins and spin on the normal class divide YA fantasy.
From what I can tell, Vora has a much more straightforward magic system than initially suggested. You have your "pure" upper classes, and the destitute lower classes. And you have a main character, who defying expectations, ends up in the upper classes. How she handles that change is the story. So, a far more standard YA system, although with interesting origins and spin on the normal class divide YA fantasy.