This is the sequel to the recent Six Crimson Cranes.

It's interesting that, if you look through the Goodreads reviews from people who haven't yet read the book, about half of them are begging for a love triangle and half of them are begging for there not to be a love triangle.

That's interesting for two reasons:

1) It shows that these books don't really know what they want to be (or if they do, they haven't communicated it to the audience well). The love plot does indeed feel very Young Adult, balancing right on the edge of a love triangle. There's some chaste kissing and marriage politics.

However, the wiring style feels too juvenile to be YA. The book is always telling us what is happening without much detail or emotion. I think the audience that would like this book is much younger than YA. The book is fast paced and has interesting (if confusing and lacking detail) worldbuilding.

So what is this book? I think it's closer to middle grade, even with the romance bits, and it's a disservice to the book to market it otherwise.

2) This book doesn't seem to have good enough characters to pull off a love triangle, anyway. I was consistently bored with the characters and feeling out of touch with what was transpiring on the page.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.