I like this one better than the first. There is far more action, more detail goes into the worldbuilding- not to mention that the character of Sturmhond/Nikolai is an enormous plus. He's a wonderful character, shimmering with wit and charm and personality, he just LEAPS off of the page.
I also liked seeing Alina coming into her own, learning to become a leader, learning what she's capable of. I love Alina so freaking much, it's unreal. Mal, too. I ship them so hard. I know Mal gets a lot of flack in the fandom for being "childish" and "whiny" and needy, but like- guys, that's what makes him HUMAN. He can't be perfect. He's been hurt so much but he still tries so hard, he's just so TIRED. And he'll do anything for Alina. I love these two.
Nevertheless, of course I still have issues- with the writing style, the strange pacing, and of course the background characters with zero personality. I can't tell the difference between Marie and Nadia, between Fedyor and Sergei, and Zoya (at least thus far) is just your typical Mean GirlTM. I really like David though. And his relationship with Genya is just the sweetest, most heartwrenching thing...