Last Argument of Kings

Surprisingly satisfying genre book. After a somewhat wobbly first book I lapped up 2 and 3 and greatly enjoyed the flawed characters, some of which you love to hate, others you will hate to love. He takes his time developing the plot and personalities and it shows, transforming my frustrations in the first book into clear lines in the subsequent books. There are certainly loose ends but there is an overall circular narrative arc that works. I will be looking into the stand-alones.