The complex relationships of war-time is very well written. The magic of the world is easy to understand and unique. They seem to keep forgetting that the main character, who holds thousands of lives in her hands is 16 years old, but the worst part is the supposed romance. There is 0 chemistry between Mare and Cal. Their feelings for each other is unbelievable. The most chemistry Mare ever had with anyone is Maven, and he's a douche and a half. Even Shade and Farley have no chemistry. The pairings don't seem to match up well.