The Traitor's Heir

Eamon Goodman is on the cusp of swearing loyalty to the Master and joining the Gauntlet,  an elite band of men who help maintain order in the River Realm, putting down "snake" uprisings. But when he hears their version of history,  he must reconsider where his loyalties lie.This book is historical-fantasy, with only a few special abilities that would be outside the ordinary; particularly important are the 'breachers,' men who can break into others' minds and discover what they're thinking.
As the first novel in a planned trilogy,  I expected this book to lay the groundwork for further character development and set the main conflict in motion.  Did it succeed? Somewhat.  In over five hundred pages, the main character discovers that the world he's always lived in is more complex than he's been led to believe, but is reluctant to take a stand for either side. Even at the end of the book, I'm not sure which set of vows he'll chose to follow.  Furthermore, I fail to see how one side holds any attraction for him at all--power and pleasure are concretely on the Master's side.  Eamon may have resisted "easy treachery," but I was hoping to see more development by the end of the book.
Overall, the book was interesting, but I doubt I'll re-read it any time soon, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it either.
I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review.