3.5 stars. Still enjoyed most of the story, but it definitely dragged a bit in the first half. Also, was disappointed in how the author treated the Blood Shrike in this book. She came off as criminally stupid against Keris, and it seemed to be solely in service of the trope of making the enemy seem almost impossible to defeat. But honestly, I'd much rather not have that trope if it meant the Blood Shrike not stupid just for the plot.