I admit that my view of this book is jaded by having read the rest of the series this winter (except the newest one that I just found out was published in the last few months). That being said, I am going to try and not let that change my opinion in what I say here.

I thought the first book was excellent both as a stand alone and the start of a series. Sarah J. Maas provided a well crafted world and discussed some prejudices that are explored on both sides of the Wall. I did find her a bit raunchy from time to time but it did not take away from the story. In fact I thought that book, while it could almost be divided into two parts, did a wonderful job blending fantasy and fairy tales together. I am a HUGE sucker for fairy tale retellings and I admit that I was pleasantly surprised that it was not just one story but several that were tied in. The faires that Maas provides for the story remind me much of the old fairy tales of changelings and Tam Lin that I loved when I was younger, with wicked distrustful streaks of personality that are developed both through the book and the series. That is not to say that Maas did not also explore human distrust or prejuides as well throughout the story.

Overall I thought the story was rather good and really enjoyed reading it.