This was so unique from any other fantasy I've read. The writing style is different in that it zooms in and out, and the world building was very well done. The prose is elegant but not flowery, and Liu is a master of gut punching lines. It is a very slow burn yet intricate plot that touched on a lot of big themes. The character development wasn't done in the traditional way, but it worked for me. This is definitely not a beginner fantasy novel. Despite the low magic and sections of info dumping, I absolutely loved this. The middle dragged for me, but the last half of the book made it all worth it. Everything felt purposeful, and I am interested to see where the series goes!