An enjoyably paced novel with court intrigue and magic. 
 My only issue was how it's written in the past tense, as a journal, by Fitz. So, clearly, he's not dying, no matter how many harrowing situations he finds himself in. Perhaps the reasoning for this will be clear later, I hope it's not just because it's the narrative Hobb feels most comfortable with. I'd much rather the suspense of not knowing if Fitz will live or not.