Fair warning, this book is pretty slow paced. There is a lot of world-building at the beginning, which is definitely needed and Cashore is a master at it. You also don't need to read Graceling to read this book! It's a prequel, but only loosely connected to what happens in Graceling. 

Cashore is also a master at character. That's what really sucks you into this story in the beginning and keeps you reading until the plot starts to pick up. Can't wait to continue my re-read!