A comment I received on one my status updates for this book gave me the excellent advice to read the appendix on naming conventions before reading the book. I received this advice too late to do me any good, but if you are considering reading this book, I pass the advice on to you in the hopes that you may benefit from what I could not.

So, this is a book about a intermittently abused and neglected kid who suddenly finds himself emperor, and that his life is thereby much circumscribed and only a little improved.

It is also a book that will, when read in a lump, have you producing sentences like the previous.

I was going to say "This book will probably appeal to fans of [b:Melusine|492069|Melusine (Doctrine of Labyrinths, #1)|Sarah Monette|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388352167s/492069.jpg|2484], by [a:Sarah Monette|128570|Sarah Monette|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1416683160p2/128570.jpg]," but I just looked, and apparently Katherine Addison is Sarah Monette. So, I'm not sure what else to compare it to.