This was a really excellent read. I'd been wanting to try Jemisin's work for a while now and the combination of the praise for her new series and my happening across a short story of hers in a collection I was reading really put things in motion for me. 
 There was just something about this book. I had a hard time putting it down. And when I did, I found myself constantly thinking about the characters. I really like politically driven fantasy--navigating the court, unraveling the secrets, figuring out who is scheming with whom. Parts of it really reminded me of Kushiel's Dart, especially in tone, though I couldn't tell you exactly why. They're very different books. 
 Still, the worldbuilding was spectacular, the characters were complex and interesting and I enjoyed myself every time I sat down to read. Some of the writing was a bit clunky at times, but given that this is Jemisin's debut, it didn't bother me much. I can't wait to read more from her.