Short fantasy in a highly magical world, this has some very well drawn characters - though the cover isn't a good representation.

This is the second book I've read by Adrian Tchaikovsky, both ever and this year. Both had excellent world building and characters. In this tale, the reader can really feel the effects of a highly magical world - especially the disparity between classes.

Like the earlier book, this was grabbed on a whim during a quick access to the library - despite the misrepresentative cover. It was a fast read and I enjoyed it until close to the end, when the plot took off without me. The ending is very abrupt. Still, a solid 3½ stars. Can't wait to read other books from this author - right after I finish the prequel short story to this book on tor.com