This completely worked for me, despite the start being rocky. A somewhat sad-funny fight between unknown (to-me) knights, nearish Camelot, made me wonder if The Magicians magic could be here too. It took a while to develop, but it all comes together well beyond my expectations. Much like The Magicians, Grossman is uninterested in hitting the tropes and is more interested in a deconstruction of the genre and subversion. Whether or not that resonates with people is going to really depend on their relationship with fantasy and this particular sub genre. Also, whether expectations are something you want delivered or not. Obviously, for me, I adored it. Quite possibly my favourite fantasy release of last year.