The first half of this book drags somewhat. The characters are likeable and there is some interesting setup, but I was finding it very easy to put the book down and read other things. 

Around the halfway point though, the book moves into into high gear, becoming hugely gripping and fast paced. Multiple major revelations are made, a couple of which I guessed in advance but others took me by surprise. The final scenes made me desperate to read book two.