Considering my massive distaste from the first Naomi Novik book I've ready—and I really did hate Uprooted—this was honestly far beyond my expectations. 

Overall, I found the writing style odd and brief, and it definitely seemed to enjoy assuming you knew things you didn't, but that you could infer. While odd, it wasn't bad, and after adjusting to it, its fairly quick and quirky tone really did set the tone for the story. 

The characters were okay, with the main character very purposefully prickly, and it was overall a fun tromp in a fairly deadly school, even if deadly sometimes comes across more as mildly inconveniencing. 

Normally I write a spoiler filled review, but I don't know if it's necessary here. I liked the book, though it didn't blow my mind. The school feels almost like it's ... badly worldbuilded, not because it's poorly designed, but because it's genuinely and canonically just unfathomable in enough ways that there are always more blank spots. 

Overall, an interesting take on the school genre, even though it in places felt rushed and brief. I like the characters but I'm not in love with them, and I liked the worldbuilding and magic, even if I'm not in love with it. 

I'm glad I read it, it was enjoyable if not mind bending, and sometimes that's enough.