Dear Mr. Lawrence, 
 Your books have been taunting me. I see them all over my GoodReads recommendations. I see them all over my Amazon recommendations. I see them being read in my book groups. You'd think I would have taken the hint sooner. Hell, your damn GoodReads account haunts and reviews practically every book I read. The universe was bashing me over the head with your books and I ignored it, because I'm stubborn that way. 
 I hope it will please you to know, that I definitely regret not taking that hint sooner. *Major Facepalm* 
 -Sarah 
 So on to the review. I'm giving it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. This is not going to be a book for everyone. It just isn't. The protagonist, is a murderous, traitorous, self serving, evil genius. Nothing is sacred to Jorg but vengeance and victory. Vengeance and victory can come at any cost, and Jorg is willing to pay that price. Loyalty and brotherhood are meaningless to him. 
 I am okay with this. As to what that says for my own mental state, well, let's not look at that too closely. The thing is, a character like Jorg is just so damn rare. You'll cringe every time he throws someone off a cliff. Or knifes a brother for looking at him the wrong way. He's smug. He's arrogant. He's a bastard. If you're like me, you'll be rooting for him in the end. 
 Because his father, the real villain of the story, is somehow worse. I think. Minor (view spoiler)[: I don't know if Jorg would ever stab his own son. Maybe he would. Maybe they are equally evil. (hide spoiler)] For now, the father is worse. 
 The writing was excellent, especially the prose. This is a story about murder and the destruction of kingdoms and a rise to power and Lawrence makes it poetic somehow. Jorg's inner monologue is fascinating. He's evil and he knows it, but he still questions it on occasion. Sometimes he questions if he's evil enough. Sometimes he mourns the loss of his childhood. Sometimes he seems perfectly happy to be rid of his innocence. 
 The plot is very action driven, with plenty of blood, gore and battle to go around. The action is also extremely well written, never a dull moment. Jorg always has an ace up his sleeve or a pawn to sacrifice. This was a buddy read (thank you Xeyra!) so I read it at a normal pace and not all in one sitting like I normally would have. I'm only noting it so no one mistakes the length of time it's been sitting on my currently reading shelf as it being a slow book. It's not. 
 There are some plot holes that I'm not sure how to fill. I'm hoping they are explained in later series. Namely, why this marauding band of brothers follows around a fourteen year old boy. It has nothing to do with his Princedom (excepting Makin- maybe). Of what I've seen of Jorg in this book I just didn't get it. I understood a little why the one called the Nuban followed Jorg. And maybe it's as simple as the brothers were sheep who needed a wolf to lead them. I don't know. Little Rikey's situation certainly isn't explainable. 
 All in all it was great. I am SO excited to read the next in the series and check out some of Lawrence's other series as well. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark fantasy and doesn't mind a less than respectable protagonist.