3 1/2 stars, really. I often give up on books halfway through, and this was one of them. It's not so much that I didn't like it, I'm just not really into this genre anymore. The story is reminiscent of Robert Jordan and Tolkien, which I enjoyed in high school, but they're literally too fantastic for me these days - I feel this speaks to a lack of creative flair in my game. Plus, I have too many other books sitting on my shelf waiting to be read (The Disappearing Spoon, People's History of the United States, Hornets' Nest, etc.).