This absolutely blew me away. It had everything I could possibly want in fantasy... pirates, mages, dragons, and a little romance. I can understand how some would find it slow, as it did take a lot of building up for the ultimate action scene, but it was so worth it. This was some of the best world building, characters, and storytelling I've read. I cried, laughed, gasped, and even got angry. This was so captivating.