This was an incredibly deep book that has great, lyrical prose and an incredible amount of layers to the mysteries it presents. 
 The story is set in a medieval setting but has hints of higher technology present in the distant past. Then it opens with a cataclysmic event that sets the frame for the actions in the remainder of the book. The world that Scholes presents is an intriguing blend of fantasy and political intrigue. In the ancient past, a horrible war was fought between magic and technology, with technology having been developed to counteract the magical forces. This conflict is carried forward as a taboo into the present day, which leads to some opportunities to misdirecte the reader during some parts of the plot. 
 This misdirection builds the deep layers that make up the plot of the book. There are battles and some travel, but it is the mystery that drives the plot here, and it is handled wonderfully. Scholes frequently leads the characters and the reader down paths that twist and turn like the mazes that are central to meditative thought in the book's world. Each turn leads to a new discovery, and you often find something that you did not even expect would be presented in that situation. At the center of this maze is the hidden background for the story and the setup for the next book. 
 I recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy and to those who are interested by the settings of fantasy but may not enjoy the typical epic quest structure.