Interesting world, opens with a big event (sudden destruction of the most powerful city in the world) and explores the consequences with interesting characters. The post-apocalyptic world mixes magic and pre-apocalyptic technology, political intrigue, religion and is clearly intended to be the first of a longer series. The ending is different and not something I expected.

Sadly, I didn't much find myself caring about any of the human characters. I don't know why this was so, but it was. One of the mechanical men, Issak (who was programmed unknowingly to recite the spell that destroyed the city at the beginning of the story), is interesting enough that I'll read [b:Canticle|6435253|Canticle (The Psalms of Isaak)|Ken Scholes|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UfTiTg5zL.SL75.jpg|6624796] to see what happens with him.