Not without merit but retreads a lot of ground mentioned in the peripheral whisperings of the first book, only far more granular. I did like the change in tone, to hope, and learn more of the story, both on the personal and macro levels. I can’t say the prose stylizing change-up was welcome, though. It went from incredible, well rendered interiority—to a pared back, plot-driven, multi-perspective, contemporary (boring), and accessible style.

Overall, I don’t think it’s particularly bad, and I can see the drive to pursue beyond the end of the first, but it’s quite safe and the plot isn’t complex or nuanced. It falls into the forgettable, technically you told a story category of books, for me.