Not as terrible as some reviews suggest, this book was a mostly fast-paced YA action/adventure with a central student/mentor relationship (both characters being straight males). The protagonist's romance was a bit cringe-inducing, but overall still a fun read, although it does privilege a Christian-like religion, casting its followers as a persecuted and sympathetic minority. Some fade to black sex scenes and semi-graphic violence. Characters seem to be obsessed with hand washing, or at least it gets depicted a lot for no real reason. 
 I tried the first chapter of the sequel as well, but couldn't bring myself to keep reading.