I enjoyed the beginning of this one. It had strong Mulan vibes.
The competition was exciting and suspenseful. The main character waxed and waned with imposter syndrome, which was too relatable right now. I enjoyed that quite a bit.
Suddenly, the competition is over, we leave the palace and travel through a desert which was… well, a desert. Nothing beautiful to see, and although we did discover a lot about the magical abilities, enchanters, and love blossomed, I lost interest at this point since the story took a turn, and the romance couldn’t keep me hooked.
I loved the prose, the beautiful descriptions; I immediately respected the main character for her motives. This book just wasn’t for me.
