First in a series, but reads very well as a stand alone story. There is immediately a sense of depth and perspective in the setting without labouring detail. The characters have plenty of interesting angles without feeling imbalanced. The use of the overtly magical is handled with deft restraint.

There are enough facets to the plot that it would be boring to try to list them all. Reads like Pratchett and China Melville had an impromptu spawning. Hooray for this writer.