It's not bad, but not great either. I like it, but it's no masterpiece. The characters are eh, the style is eh, I liked the Russian elements, there are some really good scenes, but the pacing was poor and not? much? happens...?? I enjoyed it, nevertheless, and it didn't offend me on a personal level, so I will be pushing through with the series. Yay! (Also, P.S., why on EARTH do people ship Alina with the Darkling???)