In the acknowledgements, the author describes the book as a "not a quite fantasy, not quite a historical fiction novel" and, though I'm sure she meant it jokingly, I find that it rings true.

This book never quite found it's tone, especially in relation to the fantasy genre. The political systems and climate aren't fleshed out enough for it to be considered a political fantasy and the magic system isn't explained enough for it to stand strongly, even as a low fantasy novel. Truthfully, the setting reads as though the author wanted to write a fantasy that's just straight up inspired by Ancient Egypt and just would let the chips fall where they may. 

And, while I understand this is meant to be the first book in the series, the novel ended so abruptly that it felt less like a planned cliffhanger and more like the author simply decided to stop telling the story. This was especially jarring since the first half of the book read like lacklustre build-up for a story arc that never came to pass.

I did enjoy Kareth's arc though, so 1.75 stars!