This book, unlike many in this series, will not be an easy individual to read separate from the rest of the books if you want to really understand things. It's clearly setting up for future books and there's a hefty dose of foreshadowing, but it doesn't feel like an entire book. Possibly needed more pages, by 9 books into a series there's probably a devoted fan base willing (and desperate) to read more than 200 pages per year.