This was actually a lot more solid than what I expected. Still not really exceptional in any respect, and very much overwritten (as is the <not so> fine tradition of the fantasy genre; no wonder Sanderson takes this over later).

It also doesn’t read like that much of a LoTR clone either. An unexpected, happy surprise. There’s a lot more outright rumination of the nature of gender alongside the Big Bad. It isn’t as cut and dry as in the tried and true big fantasy series, and I like that a lot. I’m not entirely convinced the characters are entirely dynamic, but that kind of character growth happens over books in these things. Not to say no one learns and grows, but it’s just by the things happening, and not particularly at any other craft level. 

I only own this particularly book, so I really have to weigh whether I’d continue.I’ll tell you what helps a lot though: The new audiobook narration from Rosamond Pike, who brings this far more to life than my brain could find the voice of the text. She narrates it like it’s Shakespeare and goes hard, making it extremely enjoyable and distinctive. For one narrator to cover so many characters, that’s a feat in of itself, but to just bring it, really augments the reading that much further, breathing new life into what might otherwise been a somewhat overtired read, to be honest. 

The thing is, I have watched the tv series and boy howdy is this last season cool. It’s what made me want to pick this up. So, I am more than slightly tempted to pick up the next (audio) book.