I'm always a bit skeptical of books that receive nothing but hype - but this was great! It's long but I read it in one weekend because I couldn't put it down! The magic system was cool and the plot was thrilling - I loved the twist and turns. I loved following Vis around - he is compelling and charismatic and lovable, but also flawed. The supporting characters were also super well done. I also loved the scheming and how you never really knew who to trust. And the ending really made me want to pick up the next book immediately!

A very exciting book, never dull, exceptionally fascinating mystery/history of the world…. could have used one more editing pass to resolve some inconsistencies and repetitions.

Vis is the very special prince who is the very best at everything. He is the smartest kid ever, plays wizard chess like a champion, and he even has a special Disney princess animal companion, deus ex puppy, who routinely fights off zombies and powerful magic users. Not that Vis needs help! He routinely beats up everyone: brawlers with the strength of ten men, the biggest boy at his school, and beats the best dueler in the world (with a couple of hours of practice with the weird dueling weapon that he is forced to use). Oh, except for the one time when two ruffians beat him up, but even the very specialest plot armor fails some times.