I really liked the cover - it's actually what made me what to read the sample. I assumed it was YA, but it is adult, or at least it has adult content (language, conversation topics ect.) I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, and I haven't read the first one, and while I could tell there was some history I didn't know about, it seemed that this book could be read on it's own. The characters seemed well-developed, it was fast-paced, and had an interesting plotline. This is a high-fantasy that would appeal to fans of The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, ect.