Grade B-.

This is a good book but not great. It was easy to put down for long periods and to read in short segments before sleeping. It is well written and the story is basically interesting but its biggest problem is structure. I'll describe those in case they bother you also.

The first structure problem is flashbacks.
Chapter 1 follows the events around a likable character named Lorana and is quite enjoyable.

Chapter 2 flashes back 450 years to follow events around a mildly unpleasant character named Wind Blossom. The content is acceptable but not enjoyable.

Chapter 3 returns to Lorana but ends in a low level cliff hanger.

Chapter 4 is another flashback and it is totally unpleasant. My advice is to skip it.

Because of the cliff hanger, the unpleasant chapter, and the fact that I don't like flashbacks, I stopped reading them and just read the main storyline. That works just fine on its own. After I was done, I read the flashback story. It not only works fine also but is better than the main story.

However, the two stories are connected and I recommend reading them together anyway, maybe skipping chapter 4 since the content is unnecessary (I will!).

The second structure problem is length verses content. The primary content, or the MacGuffin, is about plague and death. That's not how the book starts but it gets there pretty fast and it is unpleasant. Because the book is long the repetition of the tragedy becomes tedious. Many modern books are too long. I suspect they have to be to justify modern prices just like early SciFi had to be short in order to sell at all.

The third structure problem is the story telegraphs what is going to happen long before it takes place. There are no surprises. This was true even reading only the main storyline. It will be even more true when read in the proper order.