thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is the first sequel ARC I've received where I'd already read book 1 when it came out! So I found this quite exciting in my little NetGalley world. 

One thing I appreciated about this book is that although it was the middle book of a trilogy, it didn't suffer from second book syndrome. As soon as I started reading, I was thrown straight back into a world of political intrigue and a complicated love triangle (is it even a triangle? Not too sure about that one and I love it). There was also a significant difference in the tone and setting from the first book which really highlighted the progression of the plot. 

In book 1, the plot is restricted to the city and spends a lot more time running the streets rather than in the citadel. Book 2 allowed us to venture out into new locations, and began to look at the wider world, examining other kingdoms and histories from more than one perspective. Without giving any spoilers, the relationship between Lore and Bastian takes a stark turn and I was thoroughly captivated by the push and pull tension in that particularly plot line.

There was a bit less of Gabe in this book, but it looks like he's going to get more stage time in Book 3 perhaps, and the story still covered faith and religion in such an interesting way. Can't get enough of the shifts in power structures between the crown and the church in this series!

Thrilled to have been able to read this before release day and excited for the final instalment!