From the outset, this is a complex story.
There is a lovely blend of characters, all with rich histories and back stories, all set against a truly magical backdrop.
The writing style is easy to get into, and you are instantly taken along with the current of the storytelling.
I didn't want to be influenced by other reviewers, but there are some striking parallels to be drawn between this and a score of other novels released in the last few years.
From the First Look, there isn't much to make this stand out from novels such as "Red Queen" or "Six of Crows" - Which although are very good reads, this does feel like another cookie cutter fantasy novel.
All in all, I think this is a cosy fantasy read for the reading pile, but I wouldn't be too confident in picking up the next books in the series unless something really spectactular can be pulled out of the bag for the next installment.
There is a lovely blend of characters, all with rich histories and back stories, all set against a truly magical backdrop.
The writing style is easy to get into, and you are instantly taken along with the current of the storytelling.
I didn't want to be influenced by other reviewers, but there are some striking parallels to be drawn between this and a score of other novels released in the last few years.
From the First Look, there isn't much to make this stand out from novels such as "Red Queen" or "Six of Crows" - Which although are very good reads, this does feel like another cookie cutter fantasy novel.
All in all, I think this is a cosy fantasy read for the reading pile, but I wouldn't be too confident in picking up the next books in the series unless something really spectactular can be pulled out of the bag for the next installment.