YA Fantasy/ Dystopian. Kingdom with upper-class having Magic but no Creativity, and lower-class having creativity but no magic. Read around 2010.

[Katie]

The book was set in this dystopian fantasy world where the ruling class had magic without the ability to think independently, but the masses/lower-class had creativity but no magic. The queen of the kingdom was coldhearted (and magical). The princess had magical ability, and she was friends with her servant because she was constantly entertained by her friend's new ideas. Eventually they grow up, the friend shows the princess the terrible living conditions, they're like "things need to change, revolution." The queen punishes the friend in a way I can't fully remember, but it was in a super traumatic, life altering way like blinding her, and it changed their friendship.
My memories are super vague because this was about 10 years ago, so around 2010ish. I don't think it was that old of a book at the time, but I can't be sure. It almost definitely wasn't a new book because I got it at the library, and it wasn't out on display as a featured book. (I checked back at the library a couple times throughout the years to no avail.)
The author's last name is toward the beginning of the alphabet (I would even say it was maybe A) because of where it was. It was at the start of the YA section in the library.
I can't remember the characters' names or what the cover looked like. Maybe a castle on the cover, but I could be completely off.
I can't 100% say this for certain, but I would say is was most likely published in the US and in English.

Please help if you have any ideas! Every time I listen to Thom Yorke, I vividly feel this book because that was the music I was listening to when I read the book.

[Jessica]

Following because this sounds great!

[Jamie]

Hm, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard has some of these elements: society divided between magical nobility and magic-less commoners...and the author starts with A. The plot isn't quite right though....

[Katie]

Jamie wrote: "Hm, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard has some of these elements: society divided between magical nobility and magic-less commoners...and the author starts with A. The plot isn't quite ..."

That was a good book too! But it isn't what I'm thinking of here.

[Carla]

I hope you find this book soon. Sounds interesting.
I would like to read it too!

[Rainbowheart]

Stolen Voices?

[Kris]

Here's the Google Books preview of Stolen Voices by Ellen Dee Davidson - Rainbowheart's suggestion:

https://books.google.com/books?id=qZB...

[Katie]

Thats looks like an interesting book! But that's not it. Thanks for the suggestion though! I may have to read that one.

[Michele]

following