I came in with high hopes after reading The Black Prism, but I have to say it was not as strong of a novel as the later one. 
 Overall, the novel was a fun read. The plot was entertaining, though it took its time to really get going. Most of the characters are cool and well-written, a few were a bit weak, but these were side characters that (I think) the reader doesn't need to worry about. The world building was intriguing and left me wanting more details. I'm used to clearer explanations of how magic "works" (in fact, I kinda rushed through the book so I could focus on The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson), but the idea behind the ka'kari was neat. 
 This has all the elements of a good story, but I think the execution was a bit flawed, particularly in comparison to Brent Weeks. One- the pacing was a bit off, first too slow, then a few chapters were years pass between in rapid succession, followed by a very fast-paced ending. I have no problem with slow (or fast) paced books, but the change of pace was a bit jarring. Two- the descriptions (mainly of setting, but also some action) were left somewhat vague. I had trouble figuring out where the characters were: on a bridge? on a road? wait, there was a window here?. I had to reread a few action scenes since I couldn't get what was going on. Three- there were some really cool characters introduced early on (Solon & Duke Gyre comes to mind) that I felt would play a larger role. They do end up doing cool things, but I expected a bit more development. 
 I probably will read the rest of the trilogy for the following reasons: to see what happens to the main character now, to see what happens to some of the more interesting secondary characters (Logan, Dorian & co), and for the world building and political intrigue. 
 I would give this book 3.5 stars, but I'm rounding up.