I wouldn't say I almost DNFed this book, but it was close. I am really glad I pushed through till the end, because the ENDING was great. That being said, I don't think it should take 32 chapters for me to get hooked. 

I really liked the world building and magic system (even if I didn't fully understand it for most of the book). The book definitely had a definitive mood/vibe/whatever you want to call it, which strengthened the story. For most of the book I had no real investment in any of the characters. By the end, though, that had changed. 

I can't exactly pinpoint what wasn't working for me for most of the book, but I imagine it had something to do with just not caring about what was happening/the characters.