Extremely slow in the beginning, so much that I put it down the first time. This was my second attempt reading this book. It does take a while but the action picks up and becomes very compelling. I do wish some of the characters like Mati had more time to shine, but I hope the second book will change that. It’s full of interesting fantasy mysteries and epic battle scenes. The treatment of women, like in Game of Thrones, was misogynistic at times, but I enjoyed the female characters and want more about them. And I’m always on the lookout for more good Indian-inspired fantasy. Game of Thrones fans who want to diversify their reading should definitely pick this up.