My only regret is not having bought a hardcopy that I can loan to friends. This book is just amazing.

I think I could have given this four stars, but I had to go with five. It's rare to feel like a trilogy is truly a trilogy, and not just one book broken up (like John Twelve Hawks), and N. K. did that with three well thought-out books. Also, the momentum from the first book carries over here, for this book simply cannot be enjoyed without the other two. So, FIVE STARS, if you count the journey from one to two to three. Sieh, a character from the first two, is the narrator of this one. When I first realized, I wondered if I could like the book with him as narrator, and I did, it completely succeeded. I hate reviews that talk about plot, that's what reading it, and book jackets are for, so, suffice to say, these books have it all: plot, characterization, wonderful world-building. And it's rare to find lurid and sensual bits that seem authentic without exaggeration or gratuitousness. Thanks for Miss Jemisen for adding all that in, and adding it in well. She really tapped into class struggle, hidden desires, shame, and worship. I never felt like her material was derivative, and can't wait for whatever is next.