While I can see why this is considered a romantasy, I really think of it more as fantasy. The focus is more on the growth of the main character than the romance (and that's a good thing!). Eadhe is a likeable main character who is trying to find her way in a world that turns out to be a much darker one than she ever thought. In the current climate, that story is a good one for young people to hear, and the idea of rebellion though doing your best, instead of dramatic gestures, is also a good one.

The romance angle is by far the weakest in this story. Gry and Ionain are both characters that seem strong enough through Eadhe's eyes, but we don't see a lot of growth or interest to make the characters to make us invested in the romance. Fortunately, the romance is also not a focus of the book, leaving us to read the better elements of the book for most of the story. I think most of the love elements later in this book could be replaced with simple loyalty and familiarity, and the story would have been stronger for it, but it is not a huge issue by way of not being a major factor in the first place.

Another thing that isn't made a big deal of is the dragons. This book is far more about the magic systems and the problems inherent in the way the world harnesses power, which leaves the dragons very much on the back burner. This isn't a bad thing, and I suspect there will be more dragon action in a sequel (the plan for which is heavily indicated), but it is something to know if you are a heavy fan of dragon stories. In spite of the cover art and blurb mentioning dragons, they are very much a background element in this title. But that isn't a big deal with the magic system presents plenty worth discussion. Eadhe's internal conflict about power and the cost of it is really compelling, and I don't miss the dragons at all. I do miss some extra time for Eadhe to struggle with how power is accumulated, since that would be very good fodder for character growth. In fact, I wish we had seen Ionain struggle with the same thing, which might have made him a stronger interest in the book as a whole.

All in all, I think this book is a solid addition to a young adult fantasy reader's bookshelf, but I don't think it is a strong romantasy book. It is much better when looked at as a coming of age book. Coming of age books are a consistant favorite of young adult authors, and it is very much a good fit for this book, making it a solid addition to a high school library.