Few minutes after reading this sequel, I had to pause and think back when I started reading it up until when I finished reading it. I only do this if the book tumultuously heaved me back and forth with layers upon layers of events. While the the main goal of the sequel is to tell the story how Shiori returned the dragon pearl to it's rightful owner, the series of adventure and aftermath of the fact were so interwoven together that after finishing the book, I felt lost.

[Blurb]
She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

This description right here is a very promising summation of adventures and it did live up to a certain extent. What I did not like is the repetitive scenario where Shiori braves forward (keyword being brave only with no Plan B's in mind), gets captured, finds a way to be freed. It got a little bit boring mid-story that I had to resort to reading a different book before the frustration starts settling in.

While the fast paced action scenes were written well, the ending did not make any sense. After battling a demon to ensure her country is safe afterwards, she ended up freeing the demons that her Stepmother swore to seal on the mountains. I get that this might be a transition to a future book three perhaps but it was a little bit muddled and felt rushed.