For me, the best Kay in a while. His language is always lyrical, but I found it was a step above his usual. I loved the story—I was engrossed from the get-go. The use of first- vs. third-person narration was very effective (something he's done before and I just forgot?). As usual, we're deftly steered between significant events in (Fake Country Name Here)'s history, seeing them from a fresh viewpoint through the eyes of the folk on the ground.
I found the pace of the book never flagged, and there were some welcome surprises near the end
Pick it up.