One of the novel's strengths is how well researched it is. Everything about the time is so thoroughly explained that you can clearly see just how much the author cares about the historical period he's writing in. It's not just a random time that he has chosen to set his story in; he has chosen it with purpose. The attention to detail on minor things that most authors wouldn't even consider are demonstrations of just how much research Medler has put into writing this book, and his enthusiasm for it has made me want to do some of my own research into that time period because he's made it seem so interesting.
But in this strength, there was a weakness. Sometimes Medler became overly descriptive: There were instances where the plot was pushed aside in order to give more descriptions about a certain detail. As someone that easily gets side-tracked sidetracked when talking about the things I'm passionate about, I can understand why Medler would have this issue—you would never get bored discussing the things you love. But in this instance, the extra information on minor details like the backstory of a random innkeeper we would only see once, started to bog down the story and slow the pacing. My eyes began to skim over parts that didn't seem important to the plot as a whole because it became a recurring issue that I could spot in advance.
Overall, this was still an enjoyable read and I would recommend it if you are interested in fantasy's historical fiction set in this time period. I would also recommend checking out [[The Silvered Heart by Katherine Clements]].
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