I had heard before reading this that it was the best of the series so far. I disagree. Its still good, but I wasn't quite as engaged as I was with The Way of Kings. I still really enjoyed the characters, but I feel as if the plot and pacing were drawn out artificially at some points. Also the "witty" diologue that Sanderson writes for certain argument scenes was a bit cringe. When they move past that and get down to brass tax about themselves as people though, it becomes really great character work.
These opinions are liable to change upon reflection or reread. This is coming fresh off of just finishing it.
A very slow first half, followed by a gripping and emotional second half. I imagine the first half will be much improved upon a reread.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. I liked that each character had clear progression and multiple setbacks, and I simply liked all the characters. The world is unique, interesting, and feels lived in. I do feel like some of the fat could have been trimmed, but nobody reads epic fantasy for brevity.
