Yesssss she seemed like a very bad person and she seems to think it so. But slowly you realized that everyone around her is mean and bad that kindness would only be trampled. I actually think she is quite clever, seeing that she took advantage of what she knew and planned for the future. She only insulted those who insulted her and I think she has the right to do so. She knew she had to use other people because her enemies has many allies. Going to war alone is stupid.
Spoiler
At the end of the novel, I understood her anxiety because she fell in love and it would be heart wrenching if the other person told her that her ways of doing things are harsh, so she was hesitant to reveal who she was to Asher. She knew who she was and how her thought are sometimes cruel. But I understood why Asher fell for her, not because of her beauty (which is shallow) but because of her personality and ideas match his. He was twisted as well, he thought out how to execute those nobles so Aria isn’t the only villain in this relationship. They fucking match well and I love it.
Okay, Aria is the real one. Normally I would hate people like her, but the people around her on a daily suck even worse. Mielle and her little band of evil need to go.