I would divide this book in 3 parts.

In the first part you have the travels of a pair young cousins, who are super naive, a bit gay and extremely boring, they find an artefact the same way you could find some coins on the floor and they flee the region when war erupts because they are sons of nobles who want them safe. You are also introduced to the machinations and actions of some power groups and other characters. I nearly abandoned the book in this part.

In the second part you are introduced to 10-20 more power groups and some adventures in a city, it's less boring but not very interesting, up to this point is like a super slow introduction to the different characters, world and story, the best thing is that some protagonists join.

The third part is the interesting one, the story starts to unravel, I could care less at this point about the protagonist couple but at least the plot seems to be moving somewhere with them. The rest of characters are cool, their plots are better and they start doing interesting things that could have important consequences for the world. I really enjoyed this part but it ends with different cliffhangers and I'm not sure if the author will finish the trilogy?

I put off reading this for some time, but I wish I hadn't after reading it. This intricate tale gripped me from the start and drew me effortlessly into this incredibly complex and detailed world. Honestly it still holds my thoughts several hours after finishing it. As an insight to what is going on in the fascinating environment of "Shadow World", you couldn't ask for a better guide than Mr. Amthor. However, even if you put the setting aside, the book is incredibly easy to read, with well formed characters, believable personalities and realistic interactions. I especially liked the astute way the author weaved the threads of magic and technology; the combination is quite persuasive and believable. Similarly, the interactions of various Powers (both directly and indirect), were welcome and a vast step above the normal fantasy novel.

I have read (somewhere) that the 2nd book in the series is all but written, and I heartily hope that it will be polished off and published. Together with the first book, I could easily see myself buying multiple copies of, if nothing else to give as gifts to fellow fantasy reading friends. I have no doubt that they will have similar experiences. Best purchase I've made in some time, and I'm sure it will keep haunting my memory for many days.

This is the beginning of a story that gives a great understanding of how things work in Shadow World. The history, politics and societies that are just list of events in a GM book come to life and make a lot of sense. It's a must read for those who have run or are planning on running adventures in this complex place. It could lead to some spoilers eventually for players, so check with your GM first. As a literary work, it is solid, although there are many moments when it seems the author suddenly takes control of a character and gives a personal opinion or shares a thought that seems out of place for the scene.