Brb, processing.

Update: So, there was a lot that's really strong about this book. The writing is gorgeous, the characters feel tangible, and the historical world feels (for the most part) pretty concrete. The magic system was fascinating.

But... it was probably underused. (There are other excellent reviews here that talk about this much better than I ever could). The way they were talking about societal issues did ring a little too modern for me at times which juxtaposed the otherwise well-constructed setting. And, I did feel that it was either a little too slow for how long it was. While the themes were slowly and masterfully built across the novel, there were times when there was a little too much mundanity and I was left waiting for what the book was 'actually going to be about/achieve'.

All that being said, I do feel that the good outweighs the bad and I can objectively see why this book is so beloved. I just couldn't ignore my personal gripes enough to give it 5 stars.