*Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
I really enjoyed this book. It was the first book by Anthony Ryan that I've read and I am definitely adding more of his books to my list. I thought the setting and medieval vibe was fresh and not something I have seen too often before. The character in this book were so good and I feel that Ryan really worked hard to develop details and a story arc for each one. I also enjoyed that the female characters were characters of power and not lowly minor additions to the plot. The way the book started and ended was interesting as well and I really enjoyed seeing recurring characters pop up throughout the entire story, even though time had passed. Alwyn was an incredible narrator and I liked his first person thoughts and reading the story from his head basically. There was also cursing in this book and I actually think it added to the characters and the narrative, it didn't feel harsh or unnecessary. Overall, this was a thick fantasy adventure that I enjoyed and would definitely recommend.