This was such a detailed book. Most of the other reviews have it right when they write that a lot of this book was purely world building. But what a world it is! The Highstorms, the shardplates, the soulcasting and the history (and much more) make the world feel like its own character. 
 I'm not gonna lie, parts of this book are slow going. That's a typical thing when it comes to world building, I'd think, and also that often comes with 1K+ books. That said, the main characters are really well thought out, and they grow from where you first meet them. And I'll tell you this much -- the end of this book, the last 10% or so (I read it on Kindle) are like a highstorm themselves. I couldn't put the book down and ended up reading until 3:30 in the morning. 
 This will be a good series for me to read while I wait... ever so patiently... for the Winds of Winter. 
 Of course, this sequel isn't out yet either. I want the sequel. Now. 
 Update: Second book is even better. Forget Winds of Winter, I need Skybreaker!!!