I read the Shadow and Bone series before this, and I was super disappointed in it. I did not particularly like the characters. I did not particularly like the universe. It did not live up to the hype at all. BUT I am glad that I read it because it helped set me up to read this. THIS book was so much better. Not obsession-worthy, but very good. I liked the universe a lot more in this book than I did in Shadow and Bone. I really liked all of the characters involved. I feel like they were well developed and all very likable in their own unique ways.