This was an interesting one for me. I have always been a very character-focused reader, and if I don't love the characters, I tend to struggle to get through the story. This book though...I honestly can't say I feel particularly invested in any of the characters. I mean, I like them. Sort of. Some of them. Maybe. However, despite my ambivalence towards them, I still found the story interesting and read the bulk of it across just a couple days. There's not a lot of action, although what was there was very well written in my opinion. The politics are blessedly easy to understand. The chapters were short and rotated through perspectives, which I think moved the story along at a fairly brisk pace despite the lack of action. Overall, it is very much The First Book and felt more like an epic prologue than a novel of its own merit. I will definitely continue the series as I did mostly like it, but I hope it gains a bit more speed.