Within the first few pages, the characters are well-developed and the situation is clear and engaging - young people are trapped in a magical realm, working off their debts for an unpleasant overlord. I enjoyed the female characters who give off likeable qualities such as bravery, strength and loyalty. I'd be really pleased if my daughter chose this to read as it seems quite empowering for women. Reading the first couple of chapters didn't take long as I was quite drawn in and found the descriptions of magic methods and tricks to be interesting. I also liked the inclusion of a Tolkien-style map of the fictional realm. The cover is nice enough though it wouldn't really stand out to me in a bookshop - with its dark cityscape, it seems quite similar to books by other authors such as Victoria Schwab.