I though this cover was really nice but for some reason I didn't feel like it really matched the book once I read it. Not really important but something to note if the cover stops you from picking this up. I thought the world was built up really well though I would still like some more information about the bigger picture. Nhika is a well fleshed out strong character but not aggressively so and is able admit and acknowledge her weaknesses. I liked that there was some mystery and twists and turns. I did get a bit lost with some of the political drama that was part of the story but I might just not have been paying close enough attention. It also had a bit of a steampunk element which was fun. Kochin and some of the other characters also had some nice character development and surprises. I wasn't a big fan of the ending but I'm going to reserve judgment until I read the second book. I nice debut and truly a YA novel but one that also is a good read for adults.