3.75 Not a bad book at all, but probably my least favourite of the series. The plot is very tightly scripted with lots of things, one leading more or less to another. The depiction of the Inca culture is also very interesting, but there lies the rub at least for me. Except for the dragons the series had up to now some sort of historical plausible deniability. Sure it not completely alternate history with dragons, but a continent-spanning indigenous empire kind of destroys my suspension of disbelief. Without the Spanish conquest of South America can there even be a Napoleonic Europe?

Apart from that we are in for some nice character and relationship development for most of the part, but the upperclass arrogance against the press-ganged sailors that is borne out by the narration is at points pretty sickening.