The good
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Interesting central premise (minor spoiler, revealed early in the book): the idea that you can not only conquer a country and rule it in the future, but also that you can erase it entirely from the past.
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A fun mix of politics, rebellion, action, and intrigue, with a few good plot twists and surprising reveals tossed in.
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Characters that feel alive, and fully-fleshed out, including the bad guys.
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The prose is generally good and occasionally beautiful.
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A reasonably satisfying conclusion.
The not so good
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For some reason, I found myself struggling to follow some parts of the book, especially during the first ~20%. In part, I think it’s because I listened to it as an audiobook, and the unusual names in the book didn’t stick in my mind, so I was confused who was who. In part, I think it’s because the book occasionally makes large jumps to totally new characters and plot lines, and only connects them back to the main story later on, which can be jarring.
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As with many fantasy stories, this book has a poorly defined magic system, where wizards and sorcerers can do seemingly random feats, and you’re never sure what is or isn’t possible. As a result, there’s a bit of deus ex machina in the story, which can be unsatisfying.
Rating: 4 stars
Yevgeniy Brikman
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