It's really funny and distracting how much words are used to convey movement in this book - maybe it's helpful to beginner comics readers? Anyway, the character design and art are really strong in here, and the political intrigue pulls you along through the story well. I can't really tell if this is supposed to be a standalone or the beginning of a series - it seems like a standalone based on its length and lack of volume numbering, but it also leaves itself very open to continuation and some things, like the extent to which the thorns and snakes encroaching on Amelia and Salira are literal or metaphorical, don't seem resolved. I don't know that I'd commit to continuing reading if it is a series, but it was a good read.