Torn

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
DNF @ 24%

I was so excited for this one. Magic, political intrigue, rebellion/revolution... I was so ready, but this book just didn't hit me right.

It was a bit slow for my preferences. I tend to like a faster pace, so this is something some people won't mind. Definitely a slow build. By 24% the potential romance is hinted at (this is kinda liked–it isn't over the top, subtle), but the bad guy isn't even in the picture. Sure, there is conflict: potential revolution on the horizon and the MC doesn't want anything to do with it, since she will probably lose her job, but we still have no idea what the book is truly moving towards.
At this point, I looked at other reviews – many super positive, but I learned more about the villain and I wasn't impressed, I'm assuming things do not pick up, so no thanks.

The magic is somewhat interesting. The main character doesn't know much about it, no one is formally taught it, so we the readers do not know much about it either. Learning about the magic would be interesting, I'm sure, but at this point I'm not even sure if it would be a major part of the story, which is a bummer.

I also wasn't able to connect to the characters, the biggest killer for me. I can't explain why I wasn't interested in them :/ I'm assuming others will be able to and it seems to be written well, so I'm sure this is a book many will enjoy.