I'm really glad this book exists, that it can be used not just as a great story but as a window to people and cultures. I thought the book really picked up the pace about 60% in, and after that there was no putting it down. I love how the magic system and the gods worked. The descriptions where vibrant and horrifying when they needed to be. However, in the beginning I felt a little disappointed that it read so much as a YA novel (this sounds silly, let me explain). I knew coming in that this novel was YA, but I was hoping for a more mature voice. The text tended to repeat themes and ideas two or more times on a single page, as if rearranging the words to try to attain a word count. The repetition felt juvenile, but I also just finished reading an 800+ page adult historical fiction novel, so perhaps my reading palate was tainted by that experience.
Despite that small critique I'm thrilled that this will become a series. I cannot wait to see where this magic and these characters take us next!