400+ pages read in 3 (working) days! Not bad for a book in a series I like the least from Stroud's works. I've been trying to pinpoint why and it all boils down to the characters. While I admit Albert grew on me a lot in this book, I'm still not too fond of Scarlett. It's not that she is poorly written, not at all. It's just that I don't like badass characters—usually, their badassery feels fake to me. What did appeal to me, on the other hand, was her ruthlessness. I haven't met a character like that in a children's series probably... ever? Refreshing and with lots of potential in future books, I admit.

That being said, I enjoyed this book more than the first one. While the beginning was slow, the pacing picked up and it was a wild ride. I enjoyed bits and pieces of worldbuilding thrown in there. And evil man-eating owls were a cherry on top.