The beginning is a bit of a drag, the author clearly tried to make the info-dump natural, but at least for me I still felt it, and overall the miserable state of this novel makes you think it's one of those novels that just makes you feel sorry for the protagonist, where only bad things happen and nothing really gets done, but surprisingly not. I honestly thought this would happen due to (*Spoilers from this point*) the others learning how to do the stone weapons and Jarnat finding him making the axe, in my mind I thought ("Oh, so this is where the constant ups and downs begins") but the story actually progressed and uses this moment to give character development, really good. I'm really happy that this story is where it is, and it will be fun to see him actually get freedom to progress his technology tree Civilization style. Also I like both Talia and Jarnat, they are not good people but they aren't like that just for 'evil' or to be 'badass' but it comes from the social foundations of the tribe/clan/gang to make them act this way, making a bit of use from Rousseau's philosophy.

I also want to add that it's still a question whether Jarnat didn't kill that drow warrior at the beginning (her would be fourth kill) because she didn't want or because she truly is a person that loves 'grapes'. Realistically speaking that was the only way that drow would get out alive from that situation, so it really makes you wonder if it was actually cruel or a act of mercy, hopefully the latter.

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