So many conflicted feelings here.

The first half of the book was phenomenal, I loved every second of it. The look into the power of linguistics and translation was wonderful and although it’s very academic heavy, I found it very easy to read. The magic system was fascinating and well developed. The characterization isn’t superb in this book but I found that didn’t bother me too much because the world building and plot felt like the strong parts of the book.

Near the end though I felt the story became rushed considering the pace of the beginning. There’s a big “turning point” moment and after that it feels like it’s nonstop and a completely different vibe from the first part, and it was such a stark sudden change. I’m unsure how to feel about the ending still. I’ve sat on it for a couple days and I’m still angry and heartbroken and frustrated. Don’t expect to leave this book feeling good is all I will say.

There are many critiques of this book that I believe are true. It is very heavy handed, there’s no subtlety and no chance for the reader to make interpretations. I think it’s important to remember this is a YA fantasy and isn’t going to be some comprehensive, scholarly examination of colonialism that’s never been heard before. But there were some aspects that made me feel it has the potential to be even greater than it was. I did really love the book overall, but some parts fell flat for me.