Where Shadows Lie

[ Overall Thoughts ]
Where Shadows Lie is the first book in the The Last Gift series. It is undeniably the first book in an epic series in that it does a lot of character and world setup, but I found the character arcs to be satisfying and I really loved the worldbuilding. The world was rich with history and cultural depth, but the book never delivered lectures to the reader to get it across. Instead, it is built into every aspect of the societies and characters so that it comes across very naturally. Though the characters are mostly young and spend much of this book figuring out their motivations and loyalties and could be a bit frustrating, they felt well-written and fleshed out, making mistakes and choices that were understandable. I found the book very enjoyable, easy to read, and overall very engaging.

[ The World ]
There's honestly too much history and worldbuilding packed into this book to succinctly summarize, and yet the book's delivery of the worldbuilding didn't feel cumbersome or info-dumpy. I've tried to highlight some broad points here to give an idea of the world we're working with, but the depth of the worldbuilding here is far more than my highlights can do justice to.

Magic: Magic comes in two forms: rifters and Gifted, with Gifts being strong but specific powers and rifting a broader manipulation of energy. Circuits made of certain metals can be used to store magical ability, allowing city infrastructure to be built using these circuits to provide lighting, plumbing, and transit.
Religion: Five Dragon gods exist and they indirectly rule the world as we know it. Though most people seem to view the gods as more abstract religious figures, they are quite real and they take part (mostly through their loyal agents) in unfolding events.
Politics: With one of our main characters being of the ruling family, and two others heavily involved in rebellion against that family, there are plenty of politics to go around. Some nations, including our main setting in Lirin, have tried to control and limit the magic-users in their borders in order to preserve the power of the wealthy nobles.There is interesting economic commentary, as well as conversations about privilege and opportunity to engage with. There is a rich history of the various nations told in bits and pieces over the course of the book.

[ The Characters ]
There are five main POV characters allowing the story's events to be told from many different angles. As our characters move through the events of the book they become entangled to various degrees with one another and the greater powers at work in the world, and are often left to guess at others' motives and try to figure out how their own beliefs and morals fit. The majority of the characters are pretty young, leading to a lot of coming-of-age style character development.

[ Suggested Audience ]
Readers looking for a new epic fantasy series to get into, with lots of characters and deep worldbuilding.
Readers who enjoy multiple POVs with a wide cast from various factions.

[ TL;DR ]
Where Shadows Lie is the very engaging introduction to an epic fantasy series that promises plenty of intrigue and magic, and worldbuilding that has depth and feels meaningful.