*4.5 Stars*

It took me a minute to get to used to Abercrombie's writing style and the world, but all in all this was a great read. It was a little slow for me in the beginning but once part 2 hit in the book - I was sucked in.

I absolutely adore Orso, I don't care. I don't make the rules. He's such an ineffective heir and he knows it, he tries to get better but shit falls flat - but it's such good character writing that I enjoyed every chapter he was in. He has such male wife, himbo energy and I can't get over him. Rikke with the Long Eye - I love how she's just herself anywhere she is in the settings of this book. She's like look I may be cursed, who knows I have shits and fits literally. No bullshit, pure rage, "stone cold" heart - and I say this because it's what she describes herself as or what she needs to have. Any of the characters you can pull out of here and they're full people and not cardboard cutouts. I love Savine and Leo just as much but I lived for the Orso and Rikke chapters. I didn't have as much fun with the Vick, Broad, and Clover chapters but that may change as the books go, who knows.

As it comes to the story: it starts off gritty and stays that way until close to the end where they're in the high society of Adua. There's a war being fought in the north, both physically and strategically, while following Rikke and Leo, while in Adua, Savine is running her business and Orso well being Orso lol

I'm glad I picked this one up and finally finished it, I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.