Not as great as the other two. Still very enjoyable however I can not quite get into Akstyr's character. The first 30% is a bit of a drag. 
 I find him slightly tedious too. Luckily it gets broken up by the Amaranthe which kept me from giving it 3 stars instead of the 3.5/4 I gave it in the end (the last 30% in particular). 
 Finally we also get a bit more Sespian in this book aswell Yay ;) 
 The story in itself was different to what I expected when I read the synopsis. Love how this author can make the most funny twists without the story falling apart. With this being the first in 3 books instead of a single adventure like the initial 3, there is a lot of footing laid out for the story to evolve. I can not wait to pick up the next and enjoy the next part from Maldynado's perspective which is without a doubt one of my fave characters in this series!!!