I'm gonna be one of the only people who wouldn't call this 6 stars. As it sits with me, my rating will probably change. It's a great book, but it didn't blow me away. 

I found the book to be incredibly similar to Babel, at least in terms of the basic outline. 
- Has a unique magic system. 
- Main characters are the minority. 
- Oppressive and corrupt system in place.
- I felt even parts of the plot mirrored each other. 

However, none of the things I didn't like about Babel appear here. The plot moves really well throughout the book. There's a lot of world building about the religion, the magic, and the history that's packed in. I think for me, the technical part of the magic system lost me at times. I didn't realize there was like a glossary at the back. That probably would've really helped when starting the book. 

The story is obviously very character driven, and 
one thing I really did love in this book was the character development. Sciona is the epitome of an unlikable main character, and her arc through the book is one of the best I've ever read.

If you're at all interested in dark academia, fantasy vibes, this is the book for you. Overall, I really did like M.L Wang's writing style enough that I am excited to pick up Sword of Kaigen.