So, obviously this book has an absolutely gorgeous cover that's to die for. But once you flip past the cover, it also has a pretty great story to boot. Other reviewers have remarked on the influences from Tolkien and Sanderson present in this work, and I noted those as well. Crucially, however, these are influences, not copycats, which allows Lamb to use many of the great techniques of those writers while foraging his own path in this first installment of the epic trilogy(?).

This book features one of the most fun fantastical races I've come across in a while (its POV character is probably my favorite of this book). And it also has a pretty great spin on the traditional mentor role in a way that made the character feel pretty fresh and alive.

I sometimes got lost with my destinations, but I also had the misfortune of reading the digital version. I was very pleased to see a great map in the physical version once I ordered it and definitely recommend that so you can have easier access to the map (and the cover!).

There's a lot of fascinating setup with certain characters that I'm really interested to see how it's paid off. And yet there's also enough payoff in this book to make it feel complete as a solid first entry to the series. Combine that with a number of plot and character twists to keep the story moving, and I rather enjoyed this book when it was all said and done. Looking forward to seeing the future entries in this series!