This is the best book ever! Maybe next to the third book to come.

I panned the previous book in this series. And it deserved it. It was terrible. With this book, Robin Hobb has returned to form, thank El and Eda. I can only hope this signals that the rest of the series will be in this vein.

I received an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. This was quite the read. It is always interesting coming into a universe that is several books in, especially when it is the middle part of a trilogy within that universe. I have read Assassin's Apprentice and (more recently) the 4 Rain Wilds books, so I am at least somewhat familiar with her work. Reading this book made me want to get everything she has ever written and sit down (uninterrupted) and get caught up. I love Robin Hobb's writing style. It feels effortless to read without feeling like it has been dumbed down. Once I got into the story a bit, I didn't want to stop reading it. After 700+ pages I was still sad to see it end. I felt this way when I read the Rain Wilds books too. I would recommend reading some other of her works before jumping into this one (or at least the first one in this Trilogy). I think that if you don't, you will still enjoy the story, but you will get much more out of it after having invested some time in getting to know the characters of her world better. I thought the pace of the story was good. I liked most of the interactions between the characters, although Fitz's insistence on doing everything alone annoyed me at times. I thought it fit his character well enough, but it was infuriating. The names also drove me crazy for a while, until I had gotten used to them. Perserverance, Dutiful, Patience, etc. I don't know what it was that bothered me, but it stopped after I had gotten into the story more. I liked how you could feel the consequences of actions that took place in other stories. The world feels dynamic, not stagnant. It is a living, breathing world (which I always appreciate). I also really like the Skill and Wit systems in play in this world. They are similar to magic in other fantasy stories, but still have their own unique feel. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy, especially those that enjoy epic fantasy with an emphasis on world building.