This is one of the books that's been in my TBR pile since before 2016! Glad I finally got to it.
There's a pull quote from Jane Yolen on the front of my copy of the book that compares it with Harry Potter, and I actually think that set me up poorly for what story this is telling. It's an older style of children's fantasy, and only the first third of the book are set at the college of magics, which doesn't resemble Hogwarts at all. The protagonist is a young woman named Faris who is heir to a kingdom and in a very complicated power struggle with her uncle the regent. She's sent there with two protectors, one of whom stays during her time there, and she befriends another student who becomes a dean before leaving with Faris to return to her kingdom, which is where the rest of the story is focused.
The element of this story that really clicked for me is the relationship between Faris and her guard, which turns into the classic king and lionheart trope, and it goes into a really interesting and ultimately incredibly satisfying direction. The overall world building and focus of the book wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be, but that aspect was so good it elevated the entire reading experience for me, and made me really love the overall arc.
Grade: B
