Hmm. Hmmm. I think I’ll reserve full judgement until I’ve read the rest of the series, as book 2 already has me more enthralled.

I likes: the dangerous world described, humankind living in protected towers or towns, the surrounding wilderness overrun by wights. The author pulls in all sorts of Celtic mythology, making everything half-familiar, but not quite.

Not so great: the over-flowery language could be a bit grating, especially the use of long lists to describe a setting, usually full of unfamiliar words as if showing off a bit of reading up on kitchenware or sailing.

Overall, the melodramatic start does set up a bit of intrigue, although I was then disappointed at how quickly the whole book descended into a fairly standard fantasy journey/quest affair. But then – oh, the final scene had me picking book two up instantly, so as I say – I’ll wait to see how the entire story peters out.