Dragonoak: The Sky Beneath The Sun

First half is a solid 4* rating, the second half is a 3. The first 20% of The Sky Beneath The Sun is maybe even a 5 in regards of protagonist development.

So, here's the thing... Farren puts a massive effort into creating a world that's inclusive, or tries to be (the pane and the necromancers are the minorities of Farren's world), and in lieu of that, parts of this series become a bit naive and unrealistic. But this is Farren's world, their creation, and if I ignore my sometimes unhealthy appreciation of dark and destructive themes, I can't help but love Farren's characters. And for that, I can forgive the naivity. There are many readers out there who will love this series because of that naivity.