Tough one to grade. I bounce between 3 and 4. Reason being are a couple of things: 
 1. The pace can be rather slow. While it is true this is more about building/developing the characters than the world and maturing with the main character there are just too many parts in the book that you sit there and think "Okay, so can we move along already?" 
 2. The main character does some things that make you scratch your head like, "Really?" Some of this can be chalked up to the character being young, learning and growing. Then there were the times were it was so overly obvious you can't help but question the main character's thought process. This is more apparent in his dealings with one of the princes. I don't want to go into spoilers but toward the end there I had to wonder if the MC was actually in the same book I was reading for him to think certain things that were too obvious but he took his mind a whole different direction. 
 With that said the book was still good and picked things up in the end. It takes some slogging through to get there but proves to be a pleasant read in the end. I'll definitely continue on to finish the series out.