In many ways, this book was bizarre. The perspective was so unrelatable that the characterization never fully took off. However, in the context of the series and the world, it was well executed and an intriguing read. Recommended to people who like the main series. ( )

I did not expect to love this book so much. I read the previous three and thoroughly enjoyed them, but this book was just a pure joy to read. While books one to three are somehow very dark and twisted, this one -even though it centers on an assassin priest- ist just filled with so much life and humor that it stands in stark contrast to the rest of the series. I didn’t want it to end and highly recommend it to anyone. ( )

As I finished this book not 10 minutes ago, laying it down on my bed, I sat up and let slip a whispered astonished and awe-filled, "Holy shit."

It has been a very, very long time since a book has hit me this hard and so beautifully. ( )

I liked the beginning quite a bit, and as with all of these the story dragged me in pretty effectively - always anxious to know what happened next. But a lot of the philosophical musings on love and death wrapped up in the story did not seem to fit well. And there were enough little annoyances that I can't recommend it highly. ( )

It's a big challenge, building a novel around the concept of love. Not just around a romance--though that is its own sort of challenge, that of making the connect of these two characters feel real--but around Love As A Thing. You run the risk of making your theme too grandiose and intrusive. You run the risk of presenting Love-as-a-thing in a way that does not resonate for the reader. Staveley takes a game and spirited swing at it, but for me, doesn't quite connect cleanly enough to hit it out of the park.

Which is a shame, because the vast majority of this book is really good. Pyrre remains an awesome character, and a great narrator. She sits in a tight net of fantastic supporting characters, including two other awesome female characters. The story has scope, pace, a braid of astounding choices and events, and a rich and vivid setting. I really enjoyed it. (I found it much more satisfying and interesting than The Emperor's Blades.)

But that ending... I'm not sure if it's that fundamental disconnect--the author's vision not connecting for me--or if there's actually too little of the finale theme foreshadowed throughout. All I know is that it left me saying, "...yeah I guess," rather than, "Yes!" and after enjoying the rest of the book so much, that was particularly sad. (So this is three-and-a-half, rounded up for the majority of entertainment.) ( )