So.... Nicky?

Impressive structure, using the idea of reincarnation and the need to pay off your debts from other pasts to show us "souls" across centuries of time. Some do pay off their debts, others grow in surprising ways, but all start from a sort of stock box of standard fantasy characters who are kept at rather a distance from the reader.

World-building is great, as is how the author carries salient character detail across time and in new bodies (although not crossing gender -- maybe in another book in the series?). I picked it up because someone recommended it as having a strong female character, and it does, by the end--one timeline is her coming-of-age story. I'm glad I read this one (book one of an extended series), but I don't think I'll be continuing to book 2.