I couldn't get into the book as well as I would have liked , but that's almost true with all of the first books. Especially when they're trying to build a whole new world.  That has history and creatures and lore and everything. It's like an onslaughter of information because these characters know everything about the world they were born and raised in. I  also read the second and third one. But Mass must've done something right because there is two more -- and counting -- books after that are in the same world.