This book was delightful, very different from what I  expected, but I am glad about it. It was almost perfect, which is something rare for me.

Jude is the main character I didn't know I needed. Her impulsivity and rage, along with her smartness, are so satisfying to read about, and I relate to her more than I want to admit.

I love how Cardan is a bad person and is never portrayed as anything other than that. Even when we get a glimpse into his personal issues, they're not used as an excuse for his actions.

The ending was as perfect as can be, with a lot of payoff and action. I'm glad I don't have to read the second book to have a satisfying end for the first. Although, I definitely will.

However, there are some flaws keeping me from giving this a 5-star rating.

The stakes aren't high enough. They're on the verge of being eaten by animals in a lake, and instead of finding a smart way out of it, the monsters just never move toward them. Their books are thrown in the water and in the next lesson there they are with books, no explanation. Jude is challenging a supposedly dangerous enemy, and he is all talk but does absolutely nothing of value. It doesn't make you worry about any future challenges.

The romances are anticlimactic, and some of the plot twists are very predictable.