This is the type of epic fantasy I adore. I was hooked from very early in in the book.

Or to be more accurate, this time I was hooked from early on. I tried The Ruin of Kings once before, probably not too long after it came out, and I didn't get very far; my notes say I was put off by the writing style. I think as a mood reader, I probably just wasn't in the right mood at the time, because this time around I loved the writing (and even the footnotes). 

I've seen reviews say it's a confusing book, and I can see how some people might find it so, but it has exactly the kind of complications which I love - trying to figure out how the events of two time periods come together, or which character might secretly be somebody else we have heard of. In that respect it did very much remind me of the Licanius trilogy by James Islington. 

I have book two on order and can't wait to read it.