This book was a LOT of set up. Here are the rules, here are the interesting people in it, here are all the grand mysteries at the heart of things, and here is the plot for the rest of the series.
Which means very little actually happens. It's a book about getting things into place.
It is also, in a way that reminds me of Seanan McGuire's InCryptid series, a book that is not all that interested in the philosophical conundrum it's surfacing; it takes a side and chills there.

In this case, there's a subterranean conversation about free will, programming, and artificial-ish intelligence that this book has ABSOLUTELY no interest in looking into beyond the "I am more than you made me to be!" moments. Like, just...not even a little bit? We're going to ignore that in favor of a (nother) story about overthrowing the government? Can't we try for both, at least?