this book was a very fast read despite its size, it's very very readable.
it does, however, have its faults.
i know Sanderson wrote this a long time ago and i have seen the improvement he's made in other novels, but i was still bothered by some things:
- the political problems were resolved too easily
- actually, it seemed there was no buildup to a lot of things that happened, that they just came out of nowhere
- the way he writes women and Sarene's pov was making me cringe so much. i understand this books was written in 2005 but oh god
- the dialogues never felt realistic. like the storytelling was great but then they started talking and i went like: "no living being would ever talk like that" and it took me out of the book a bit
- also, i think Sanderson should just avoid writing any type of romance lmao. this is one thing in which he has not improved AT ALL. just let people be single pls
- the ending was the worst part. i could ignore the little plot holes before, but the ending just felt rushed and kinda nonsensical honestly

now what did i like?
- first of, Sanderson's writing is very compelling. it makes you want to keep reading forever. i had a rally hard time putting this book down when i needed to, which is already enough to make me love the book even if i had a lot of problems with it
- the magic systems and worldbuilding were wonderful. i had a great time with it. it was delightful
- i did like the characters, though i think they weren't as fleshed out as they could be

all in all, i had a great time with this book. the ending was what brought it down a little for me.