When I started the book, I was planning to read one chapter before bed each night. Let's just say that did not work out very well.
I find this book to be most comparable to the Game of Thrones book series.
It uses the same style of character perspective-switching, and does so masterfully -- perhaps with even better pacing.
The book also takes a similar dark and complex view of human nature.
I also appreciated that the book seemed to have a good sense of history, with realistic settings.
I do have a few minor complaints.
The first is that, while every male character has a complex mix of traits reminiscent of Game of Thrones -- a bit of evil, a bit of honor, a bit of gluttony, a bit of kindness, all mixed into one complex person -- I did not feel that the two female characters we get to "see through" got the same treatment. They are both basically saints, and (while not omnipotent) are also far more competent than the other characters. Game of Thrones, by contrast, does not have this issue. Modern Hollywood productions, though, have it in spades, so by no means would I say this is a unique issue in this book. A problem of the era, and a common gripe from me.
Also, a bit of 21st century culture did creep into the book. A few lines of character dialogue, specifically "we ought to be inclusive" and "I want to be your ally" jumped out. And the overall plot started to get significant "arc of moral progress" undertones. Which is sort of fine, but personally I even better like fiction (Game of Thrones) that avoids moralizing.
Overall, I found it excellent. I was really impressed by how gripping it was, and the complexity and believability of most of the characters. It really NEVER got dull, which is rare. Some of the characters are just excellent in how complex they are, in particular the bartender and some of the outlaws. The book is fast-paced, in a good way. Always wondering what would happen next.
The authors also did a really impressive job of conveying just enough of the scenery to create a vivid portrait, without bogging things down. I imagine that's a tough balance to make, and it was done excellently.
In spite of the couple of gripes, I give it 5 stars and definitely recommend it. Kept me up at night. I look forward to reading these authors' future works.
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