When I started reading Tracing the Shadow, I was hoping to read a good book, because I liked Ash's previous books very much. I must say that I wasn't disappointed with the quality of this book. To be honest, I liked this book even more than the previous books.
Tracing the Shadow was a fascinating and entertaining book with enough depth to keep the reader interested in it. The characters were interesting and the story was good. This kind of epic fantasy interests me very much. I can give this book four stars, because it contains all the elements which are needed to make a good fantasy book.
I like Sarah Ash's fantasy books very much and I especially like her writing style. Her books are exciting and well written. Her writing has become more fluent with each new book and this new book demonstrates that she sure knows how to write excellent fantasy. She's without a doubt one of the best fantasy authors at this moment.
If you've read The Tears of Artamon trilogy and liked it, this book is a "must have" book. I'm sure that you won't be disappointed with this book. If you've never read Sarah Ash, you should read her earlier books before this book.