I really enjoyed this book. It has a slow pace to it which I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. By slow pace I mean there are a lot of characters and very precise details of people and places. So I couldn't read this as fast as I do other books, because I was afraid I would miss important details. Once I became familiar with the main characters and the storyline it didn't matter how fast I was reading. I was hooked. 
 The story revolves around four main characters: Cithrin bel Sarcour, Captain Marcus Wester, Geder Palliako, and Dawson Kalliam, Baron of Osterling Fells. Cithrin is an orphan being raised by the Medean Bank in the city of Vanai. Captain Marcus Wester is a former war hero running from his past. Geder Palliako is a young man on his first war campaign who is ridiculed by his peers for his love of books and essays. Dawson Kalliam is the head of noble family in the country of Antea that will do whatever he has to keep his country from falling apart. Abraham does a great job of weaving the characters stories together as the book progresses. The uncertainty of youth, the guilt of past failure, the pride and arrogance of nobility, the political backstabbing. It is all displayed in these pages. 
 The detail in this book was great. The descriptions of the cities, the different races, the history of the world. The most difficult part for me was memorizing the different races. The author does a good job of describing their appearance when mentioning them, but there quite a few and it can slow you down a bit. At least it did me. 
 All in all. This was a very interesting read. Not a lot of action. More political strategies, and character development. I am looking forward to reading where Abraham takes this story. Give it a try! You may be as surprised as I was.