The shorter a book is, the tighter and more succinct the plot should be. Unfortunately, In the Shadow of the Fall has the plot of a book that would need to be four times as long in order to do it justice. As it is, everything feels rushed. Since the story is too complex and there are far too many characters, there's no room to really get to know the characters or appreciate the plot twists. It felt like there was a rush from point to point without an organic build-up.