This book was such a beautiful read to much such a beautiful cover. It took me a while to get absorbed in the story as it came off as very simply written, but I grew to love the world building and the magic. This is one of those stories where it is easy to guess what is going to happen, but still enjoy the ride.
I loved the difference in the two cultures displayed (and how the constant conflicts hurt each other and the constant back and forth in power) and the two cultures learning about each other through Ximena and her encounters at the palace. There are good and bad people in both cultures, and Ximena becomes more critical of what she has learned. This actually ended up being a much more nuanced approach to political issues than a lot of YA books. I loved the romance, too! It was a nice slow burn.
My only real complaint is that the decoy story was a bit sloppy. Ximena has been a decoy her whole life and yet she is impulsive and constantly making poor decisions, or doing things that make it obvious that she comes from a poorer background. She talks so openly about her past, it is amazing that nobody questioned her background more! And we saw how she longed to be able to be herself, but I feel like there could have been more about how being a decoy impacted her.
I can't wait to see the author's future books and see how her skills grow.
I loved the difference in the two cultures displayed (and how the constant conflicts hurt each other and the constant back and forth in power) and the two cultures learning about each other through Ximena and her encounters at the palace. There are good and bad people in both cultures, and Ximena becomes more critical of what she has learned. This actually ended up being a much more nuanced approach to political issues than a lot of YA books. I loved the romance, too! It was a nice slow burn.
My only real complaint is that the decoy story was a bit sloppy. Ximena has been a decoy her whole life and yet she is impulsive and constantly making poor decisions, or doing things that make it obvious that she comes from a poorer background. She talks so openly about her past, it is amazing that nobody questioned her background more! And we saw how she longed to be able to be herself, but I feel like there could have been more about how being a decoy impacted her.
I can't wait to see the author's future books and see how her skills grow.