A traditional fantasy coming of age tale of a boy growing into the hero we're told he will be through harsh and romantic life lessons. 
 Most of the book is told in a narrative style from the perspective of a storyteller which allows foreshadowing to keep reader interest but means it's the journey not the final destination that counts. This will probably turn some readers off. 
 It has a Unique, interesting and carefully thought out magic system. The world is just as throughout, rich in history that the author takes his time revealing it to us. The characters are also believable allowing us to care and hate them appropriately. 
 It is a long book but I was surprised how fast I read through it. I often found myself not wanting to stop, however it does slow down near the end. 
 This is NOT a standalone book. It was written with the intention of being a trilogy and thus I found the ending not completely satisfying. 
 I will definitely read the sequel, hopefully the third gets finished soon.