I really enjoyed In the Shadow of Lightning. It has many of the elements I look for most in epic fantasy, including battles, politics and an interesting magic system. I also liked the characters and relationships.  The writing style reminded me a little of a Sanderson book. 

The one criticism I have is that the murder mystery element develops in a very predictable way which I feel like I've read a thousand times. The ending did leave me hopeful for the direction of the next book in the series. 

A very decent fantasy book, I recommend it.