This was a very, very violent book - there is a lot of physical, emotional, & sexual violence. I don't feel "gratuitous" is the right word for it, though, especially after reading the interview with the author that was helpfully included in the back of the ebook, because it confirmed they were thinking of the same themes I was while reading. I found it took me some time to get used to the descriptive style, but once I did I was more or less swept into the pace of events. I found the concluding twist to be well-prepared & felt like the scope was appropriately expanded to set up the next book. Let's see how it goes.