This book was enjoyable. It's told in "Now" and "Then" alternating timelines. The author used an awesome style of language in the story. It made it feel more fairytale-esque. I liked the main character. Some parts of the book were predictable but that didn't bother me too much.

When Umbra washes up on the river with no memory of who she is and where she came from, the only clue she has is a brand burned upon her skin that means something to the clan chief who finds her and takes her in. In the past, we also meet two girls who become friends following an almost-terrible act but it appears one of them may have a secret and a plan that could lead to devastation.

I didn't really enjoy the writing in this from the start to be quite honest. I was intrigued by the first couple of chapters and I liked the idea of trying to figure out who Umbra was and how she was connected to the two other girls in the past chapters however before too long, I became a bit tired of the writing style and the over-description of everything. I think the story became a bit complicated and confusing for me as well (and not to mention all the names in this book are so hard to pronounce that disrupted my reading flow - I know it's a fantasy but that doesn't mean every name needs to be a stumbling block).

In this naturalistic fantasy, the author seamlessly interweaves past and present storylines, which keeps the reader guessing as to the true relationships between the characters. A bit dark in content, but light to read, this was a delightful story. However, there could have been more development of the present culture, such as the significance of trees and the conflict it created between the Clans and Gherza tribe.