I've always thought when you open a good fantasy novel you should find yourself lost in an unfamiliar world. The joy is in discovering that world and the story that unfolds there. Rise delivered that joy to me immediately. We're dropped into Logwyn's room and immediately immersed in a fascinating world that feels equal parts futuristic and ancient. Personally I truly enjoy when an author doesn't feel the need to over explain everything. I feel excited when an author trusts me enough to let me find my own way. Brian does that very well here. Context clues, phrasing, vocabulary and the main characters thoughts blend together beautifully to give me a picture, an idea and most importantly an atmosphere to the world of Rise. I consider it great praise that this world is completely confusing to me and I have no idea what is about to befall Logwyn but I can't wait to learn more about both. You can't ask much more from a story than that.