An instant favorite! At the beginning I was a little nervous because I didn't immediately get hooked into the story and I thought I would be bored, but I stuck with it and it paid off so well! It's been a while since I've read a series starter and been so thoroughly invested that I want to pick up the next installment soon and this book broke that curse. There is so much to love here: the nuanced politics, the cast of incredibly well-realized characters, thoughtful writing, and a beautifully steady pace. The only reason I'm not giving it a full five stars is that there were a number of things I had to suspend my disbelief on and I thought the ending was a bit anticlimactic. This does set up the rest of the series pretty well and I am so excited to continue.

*However this series goes I just need Duck to end up healthy and happy.