I feel kind of cheated because of the skipped year but in the same time I'm grateful I was spared from the trainwreck in  slo-mo it apparently was. Still, it annoyed me and this is the reason I'm reducing half a star. Pffft, whatever.

It was a rich book, showing the cultural and religious clash between three countries and faiths marvellously. Not sure why it's being marketed as sci-fi in my country since it's obviously high-fantasy but hey, at least it's translated and more people have the opportunity to get to it (and feel my pain). i'll recommend it endlessly, I'm generous like that (especially with pain).

I really liked the characters.

Strong, self-assured women.

Clever, proficient men.

I'm especially fond of Ammar and Miranda. ^^

It annoys me occasionally how Philippa sees it as perfctly acceptable to intervene in every aspect of Lymond's life without being invited to do so. Like that knife in TDK or the child-searching in PiF. Or like how she gave John Dee Lymond's date of birth. Not. Her. Business, damn it. 

It's a big part of who she is and I like her but this sometimes drives me up the wall.

"There is cilantro you cannot already guess. You know now what you want. You are about to learn how to give. But the hardest lesson of all is accepting."