i don't love nor dislike it. the story is slow-paced but entertaining, and is obviously a really long prologue for the other two books. i'm okay with that. this felt like an introduction, and maybe that's why i'm a bit confused with the plot and what i should expect, as a reader, from the next part of the trilogy. there seems to be a big story, big event, big conflict going on but in this book i was barely able to scratch the surface of it. i mean, i get why jezal is so lost at the end because i, too, don't know what the fuck is going on. that doesn't mean i didn't have a great time, though, so i hope the plot and backstory of this world gets a nice, comprehensible development soon.

i felt the same towards the characters. they're defined as morally grey, but to me they were almost pitch black. it is really hard to empathize with them and justify some of their actions (and i would be concerned if you do because...), but that is kind of their charm. a character doesn't have to be nice and make the best decisions for them to be able to tell a story. i do think logen was my favorite, i'm intrigued by his past the most.
if i had to say something else about the cast of characters it would be: WHERE are the women? i can name only three, and none of them have a specially big role in the plot. perhaps ferro can be labelled as a main character (i think she is, actually), even if she appears already halfway through the book and i can count her pov chapters with my two hands. she is the most unknown 'main' character of all of them, if we compare the information we get about her to what we get about logen, glokta and jezal.

but i liked the narrative style, i think the author does a great job of choosing the right words for his descriptions. there were some scenes (gross ones, i have to say, but i have to appreciate the way the author is able to make me a bit sick too) that i visualized in my mind just as if i was watching a film.

i have high hopes for this series nevertheless.