Overall, an interesting premise. And I was really happy to see two strong female characters who are actually the most skilled warriors of the group! Very nice change of pace from the male-centric books of this type.

It started out slow and bit clunky, but seemed to smooth out. I did find it hard to keep track of all the names and places, as there are a LOT thrown at the reader in a very short time span. I pretty much had everything sorted out by the end, but it was a little frustrating at times. Also, I found the characters themselves rather flat initially, and it was only towards the end that they became a little less two dimensional.

I realize that this is the start of a new series, and a lot of world building needs to happen. I just wish there had been a little more character building and a little less rushing through the story.

Thanks to Scholastic for the ARC.