I dunno about how I really feel about this book, but overall I don't think it's something I would re-read for any sort of enjoyment. I didn't care that much for the magic system--in fact it felt pretty bland and after its first introduction was kind of hardly addressed half the time aside from it being a source of money rather than actual magic. Everything was mostly focused on the languages and the historical aspects which would be fine if it was presented a little less dryly.

I did like the characters, but after a while even they were not enough to sustain the blandness of the dragging plot. Especially when

people start dropping like flies.

I finished it, but it was another work of Kuang's that I didn't care for--even less than the Poppy War series which I didn't finish.