As in the first book, there's a lot of smart retelling/reimagining of folklore here, and we're introduced to some interesting new characters, newly expressed emotional distress for Tristan, and even higher stakes adventures for Alke, the land of the gods. What's also new, and very welcome, is the expanded role of Tristan's grandma, which gives the story heart and continuity.

The contemporary updates to the folklore seem fitting, and the ending teases a direction that I'm excited about, but the story here felt overly long and rambling at times (a bit of a weakness with the first book, too, but not as critical there when a whole world is being established).

Overall, a great expansion of the Tristan Strong story!