Very Good Read
I was fortunate to come across this book while researching for a new read. I don't callously choose new books to read. I take many things into consideration, from it's title to the summary to reader reviews to professional reviews. After about twenty minutes, I came across this book, and everything about it seemed interesting. And it delivered. Rich, vivid characters pop off the pages in settings I don't usually read about in fantasy. I was engaged almost immediately in the emperor's "blades" and the situations they were in, as the book seamlessly moved from setting to setting. I wasn't bored at all, but rather I became invested in the characters. Highly recommended first book in a trilogy, the only negative I have to say is that it ended too open ended. I know there is more to come with the next two books, and it had to be setup, but I would have liked a bit more cleaning up of all that went on at the end. I realize that might be more of a personal issue rather than a book flaw, because I wanted to keep going. There are no half stars in the ratings, and I don't vote up, so I rate this book a strong 4 stars that could easily be a 5, if perhaps with one more chapter. Can't wait until book 2!