I rather enjoyed this First Look. I thought the first chapter was done in an interesting way and stylistically it fits the genre and is one of my preferred flavors. Easy to read and well thought out. Another positive for this book is that it doesn't seem to rely on the previous book for a foundation. I don't know if the novel will carry through as a standalone, but if it continues in the manner with which it started it should. I care at all for the cover but that's not a selling point for me. I would continue to read this book and look forward to its release.