I got hooked on this book right from the start. As you probably know about me by now, I love a good political intrigue fantasy, and this had all the hallmarks of one from the first page. The protagonist is clever but flawed and I really enjoyed it as her story began to unfold, first growing up amidst an occupied land before taking the first steps in undermining the incredibly powerful empire from within. The middle section of the book slowed up quite a bit, however, with a lot more telling than showing (ie, rather than see intricate plots unfold, the reader just has everything explained to them). Having said that, I still enjoyed the story, right up until the end. I won't give away any spoilers, suffice to say, don't start this one unless you're okay with brutally dark endings. It is the beginning of a series, so there is more story to come, but I'm not sure I'll be reading any further. That's not to take away from the fact it's a great book, and if you're someone who doesn't mind when stories take a darker turn, I can definitely recommend it.