An interesting read. It's a pretty unique world, with floating islands, dragonships, devolved dwarves, and arcane constructs by a group of super-wizards who disappeared long ago. On it's own, this book goes absolutely nowhere. A cast of character is built up and basically achieves nothing. The story is clearly intended to unfold over books 2 to 7, but I'm not sure I will tag along.

Perhaps the main issue is that there is nobody to like.

Hugh, an assassin with a golden heart. Or is he? He never kills the child (even though the child is evil) but it may just be because of Bane's magic. He only wants to do good once, when he becomes infatuated with a married woman and kills her husband. What is there to love? I guess he's a good dragonship pilot? Although the only time he flies a dragonship it crashes. Even worse, he dies at the end of a character arc that went nowhere.

Bane, the super evil child. His excuse is that his father is even more evil. But still Bane only ever does selfish and evil things.

Haplo, a member of an evil civilization imprisoned in the Labyrinth. He broke out and is now serving an evil lord and looking for vengeance. His mission is simple: go to this world and throw it into chaos so his lord can conquer it. But he's generally calm and humble. He never shows affection to his dog, but possibly loves it.

Alfred clearly has a heart. He's sorry for all the cruel things he and his buddies did way back. He's also sorry his buddies are dead. And he doesn't want to do cruel things anymore. But he's not sorry enough to admit anything or help anyone.

Limbeck, a caricature revolutionary who keeps cleaning his glasses and writing speeches, while completely out of touch with events around him.


I guess this may be intentional and it all comes together in book 7?