This rating is so difficult and I may change it by the end of the week. I didn't actually enjoy this book until the last 100 or 150 pages. The beginning was really slow and I didn't really care about the characters. I kept reading hoping it would get better, and it did finally. The writing style was also king of odd to me. I finally cared about if Lu would regain the throne until almost the end. That is when, I feel, the biggest twists occur and really make this is a worthy story.

I will be reading the sequel, but I can't see myself longing to pick this up again soon and having it on my mind for a long time.