An orphaned child on the cusp of their teenage years escapes their abusive adoptive parents by gaining admission to an elite school where they learn to channel all sorts of amazing abilities and powers.

So far, so Harry Potter. But this is no derivative work. Firstly, the setting is a fantasy world version of China, with a plethora of cultures and expectations vastly different from many more traditional fantasies.

And although it starts out reading almost like a Young Adult book, as you progress towards the final third of the novel things change. They change a lot, becoming downright brutal in places, and by the time you get to the final pages you realise that this is most definitely a quality addition to the grimdark subgenre of fantasy.