Superb epic fantasy.
I bought this since it was on sale, but had intended to read it for some time. I'm glad I did. I can't believe I've waited this long to read this.

While some books start with all the characters in one place and slowly build up to the full cast and the action, this is not one of those books. You start of right in the middle of the action and quickly start shifting view points. It can be a bit hard to follow what is going on or if events are relevant, but if you persevere you are rewarded. The various viewpoints and plots start tying up together and by the end everything is neatly in place. There are a few plots that get introduced and are not resolved, but it's clear that these will be address in the future books.
The magic seems well structured and defined, though the reader is not privy to the details. Unlike some books, there is no 'apprentice mage' character that learns (along with the reader) how magic works and such. Hence, I am not to sure of the limits, but can attest to the power of some of the characters.
The characters themselves are excellent. You want all of them to succeed, which is a problem since they each have their own goals that in many cases conflicts with those of others.

Overall, this is a great start to an epic fantasy series. I look forward to reading the following books and I am glad the 10-book series is officially complete.