I found it very engaging. I like the get on with the story, fill in details as (and if) needed later approach. It felt like a good pace from beginning to end, unlike another very popular book of similar genre which felt jarring toward the end, like it suddenly kicked into high speed. In terms of background scenery which doesn't affect the story, much is left to the imagination. Yet rich detail is naturally sprinkled throughout which gives deeper insight into the story in progress - yes, key elements of the foreground environment, but also attentive glimpses of characters' interactions and expressions. In fact, between the rich subtext and details where they count, I found a second reading shortly after the first quite illuminating and worthwhile, and I rarely take time for leisure reading a first time.
Stylistically, it seemed like it took a few chapters to settle into a comfortable flow (maybe just me), but it was well worth the wait. It seems very well balanced in that while it is obviously the beginning of a series and leaves a lot to look forward to, it also stands alone well and left off at a very good point. I look forward to following its threads farther and learning more about what's really going on (you know, to see if I'm right or not)...
~ James
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