I was so excited to start this book, and was somewhat frustrated as I struggled to get into it at first. It tells a big story that almost reads more like a history book than a novel, especially in the beginning as numerous characters and places and aspects of the culture are all introduced at once. From the beginning though I loved the characters and Dara felt vibrant and real. And then eventually I just fell in love with all of it. Truly an epic story, in which Liu treats his characters and their endeavors with care and nuance. I highly recommend this story, but caution that it is a story of uprising and filled with deaths of many characters - some coming suddenly before I had hardly a chance to get to know them, and some painfully after growing to love them a great deal.