I don't often write reviews, but I'd like to at least to keep some rough notes on what I read, and this is as good a place to start as any.

This is a pretty long book, the first 2/3s or so of which are mostly slow-paced, with lots of worldbuilding, character introductions and general table setting. That isn't really a negative, the straightforward writing and thorough explanations really helped my immersion and kept me from feeling overwhelmed with the intricate lore, which is often a concern of mine when reading through long fantasy epics.

The last third of the book delivers on what the rest of the book has built up towards in a very satisfying and rewarding way. The pace also picks up and it all ends with the right mix of closure and excitement for what comes next. I'll be reading the second book for sure.

Other notes:
- I found all characters genuinely interesting, there wasn't a particular point of view I couldn't wait to go back to, nor one I thought was weaker than the others.
- Some really interesting ideas in the worldbuilding, the lore is fascinating and I'm excited to learn more about the mythology and magic system in the other books.
- Action scenes are really well written, just the right mix of dynamism without being hard to follow.
- There was a lot of repetition when certain terms or characters came up. This could be considered a negative for those that are really good at remembering details after reading them once, but I appreciated the constant reminders and made the 1000+ pages book quite approachable.