Awakening is a fast moving story, before the chapter even begins the lead character Colina has been through a traumatic life changing situation. Even though we don;t know what it is, the story begins with a Healer trying to learn Death Magic, it isn't a process for the faint of heart.
I enjoyed the book, the characters are young, seventeen or so, they are not the well rounded characters that more maturity and age would bring, the world isn't built slowly over chapters describing the detailed history of the magical guilds, we know what we need to know, when we as a readers need to know it, learning about the rituals as they take place. This is not a book of light candle magic, this is as the series suggests, a book of dark rituals.
This kind of story works extremely well for the young adult audience it is aimed at. It is the first part of a series of four books and as such left me wanting to know what happened. I am recommending it to the many students who will enjoy it.