* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

3.5 stars.

This second half of the Feverwake duology gave me much more to appreciate. The story line moves quick and keeps things interesting while the character development continued to bloom quite wonderfully. As a result, I found that the sequel read easier for me and kept my attention quite well.

There is more focus on character in this piece and less political detail, which I think also helped from my personal perspective. I was able to engage more fully with the story while still getting the pieces of world building that made the story feel full and imaginative.

The representation in this duology is well done and there is quite a bit of impactful content with regard to relationship development, domestic abuse, and sexual abuse. It is pretty well constructed and comes off with a good serious note while not dragging the plot down overly heavily. The characters are realistic and flawed with respect to these aspects, a good note in my book.

The downside for me was the ending. While the action portion of the ending was well done and I did appreciate the thought and detail that went into creating it, I felt a little let down in terms of summary detail. I needed things to be a little more fleshed out and well-rounded here rather than feeling like things quickly got summed up and tied with a neat little bow.

Overall, a good and smooth read and the rare case for me where the sequel in a duology was better than the initial composition (which still got a respectable 3-star rating from me).