Book Review: Nikki McCormack's Dissident

Ms. McCormack was a guest on my blog while promoting her book tour for Dissident.  I liked the book's blurb.  
Dissident is a fantasy novel that primarily takes place in two kingdoms, Lyra and Caithin.  Indigo, the book's heroine, lives in Caithin and is engaged to Jayce.  Her fiancee is a wife beater and a jealous brute.  She lives with him while going to school.  Their coming marriage is an arranged one.  Indigo is from a noble family and expected to marry into nobility.  Despite her birthright, she is basically on her own.  Her father died when trying to start a revolution and her uncle is now her benefactor.  
Indigo has strong powers in healing.  Soon she comes to realize that she can also read other people's minds, cast spells, block information, and many other mystical things.  One night after a fight with her fiancee, she walks through town and meets a Lyran named Yiloch.  He doesn't tell her his real name at first because she would instantly recognize him as the son of the Emperor of Lyra.  His father had him locked up because he was a threat to the crown.  The Lyrians believe in slavery and oppression.  Yiloch wants to reform the country.  
The first night that they meet, Yiloch takes her into his prison cell that he frequently escapes from and makes love to her.  Their tryst seems like a dream one-night stand.  Later on she realizes who he is when she meets him at a state dinner.  At this point, Indigo's powers stand out among her class.  She has private lessons with the school's headmaster who shows her more magic.  Some of Caithin's leaders decide to ally themselves with Yiloch with the goal of overthrowing Yiloch's father from the throne.  Indigo volunteers herself as a healer and goes to war.
My Review: McCormack's writing is descriptive, clear, and exciting.  I enjoyed the story immensely.  The book was definitely original, but there were parts that reminded me of Game of Thrones and Harry Potter.  I loved Indigo and Yiloch.  McCormack did a tremendous job developing these very unique characters.  The story was a love story, but also a political story where good triumphs over evil.  
I don't want to spoil the ending, but it's not predictable.  McCormack sets it up for a sequel, but it also works as is.  Great book for fantasy and romance fans.  I plan on reading her other book as well.  Instant fan!  5/5 Stars

Nikki's other novel, Girl and the Clockwork Cat (Steampunk)