This book was a pretty mixed experience for me. The writing is well-done, the characters are interesting and complex (although I don't always care about them as much as I would like), the magic is cool and limited in a way that is unusual. The world building is impressive, with exposition happening very slowly over the course of the novel. Having the whole story take place in a prison with limited informational access to the outside world keeps the mood tense and mysterious, as does our narrator's extreme guardedness. I was confused and slightly off-balance for a lot of novel about her feelings regarding the overall political situation of the kingdom. However, the ending did not do it for me at all. In fairness, I went into this book without knowing there is a sequel, which may have changed my initial reaction to the ending, but I can't help but feel a certain amount of betrayal. I will probably continue to read the series since the world is so interesting and I am curious to see how it and the characters develop.