Rahelu was born with a strong aptitude for magic but to a low-income fisherfolk family. Because her parents couldn't afford the tuition for the magic school in their homeland, they moved to the other side of the continent. They hoped things would get easier, but capitalism is brutal, and money helps everywhere.

Rahelu is likable, and her determination to succeed (plus her motives to do so) is praiseworthy. She's a classic underdog character with an entertaining arc. Petition is structured around a tournament to secure a better future and a well-paid job in one of the Houses. The author adds a murder mystery, some politics, and a tiny bit of romance to the mix. For the most part, it works - I finished the book in two sittings and enjoyed myself :)

Things that didn't quite work for me include the initial simplistic division between the worlds of the relatable working class and the upper class detached from reality. Also, there's a trope that I wholeheartedly despise - a rich and dazzling high-born bullies our impoverished protagonist. Fortunately, things change quickly, and we experience more complexity as the story progresses.

The other thing that didn't fully work for me concerned world-building - the author introduced various terms describing powers/resonances by naming them without explaining their effect. But then, again, it's easy to get the hang of it quickly, so maybe I'm just nitpicking a bit.

Overall, I had a good time reading the book, and I'm interested in reading the sequel once it's published. And I encourage you to do the same :)