This wasn't awful, but I'm not left wanting to read any more of the series either. Look, it has its good points - the writing is clear and nicely paced, and I liked Laia. I just couldn't stand Elias, and when you hate a protagonist as much as I hate him your ability to like a book is severely tested. I rather think I'm supposed to read this and feel untrammelled admiration at his decision to not kill Laia, to be happy that he's found a place to stand and set his morals on. But I'm not, and you know why? Because it's a monstrously selfish decision wrapped up in pretty paper. Marcus is a monster - Elias knows that he's a monster, and yet through his continuing inability to put his own self-respect behind the lives of everyone else in the world, he's elevated that monster to a position of absolute power, one that will allow him to slaughter and torture entire populations. And he does it twice. Taken to his supposed execution (we should be so lucky) Elias has the chance to deliver his world from Marcus by killing that raping sadist, but refuses to take it on the grounds that he'd rather die, basically, for a moral act than an immoral one. I'm sure that's a very great comfort to all the people who will suffer and die so you can keep your conscience clear for (literally) another ten minutes, you selfish fucking jackass.

Laia is willing to sacrifice herself. Elias is willing to sacrifice everyone else. She could do so much better, but given the way this series is headed I don't believe for one minute that she'll get it. Oh, and if Cook isn't who I think she is I'll eat my hat.