This series lost the thread somewhere in the middle. The second half of this book tried really hard to bring it all back together - and honestly, I'd have preferred if we ditched the main character all together to focus on all the secondary characters who had actual motivations. The series worked best when it wasn't second-guessing itself, but we spent so much time wallowing in the main character's self pity that it infected the storytelling.

This book was so creative, so inventive. I loved the world-building. But the story deserved more time in the oven. It's half-cooked at best. ( )