The Library at Mount Char

First book in quite a while that has really grabbed me. It's exactly the kind of book I like – one that plops you down in the middle of a large, well-established set of rules different from the ones you're used to – but it's an excellent example of the type.

What stands out to me is the brutality. It's never cruel just to be cruel, but it – or rather its characters – pull no punches. To be clear, though, a lot of modern work in fantasy and even other media seeks to distinguish itself by what it would like the audience to believe is realism and grit, but which is really just mean-spiritedness for its own sake, and this doesn't fall into that trap.

Great building of its own mythology and systems. Strongly recommended among other recent fantasy, from which it stands out wonderfully.

EDIT: Why did I only give this four stars my first go-round? This book is great.