The first book was a delightfully atmospheric fairytale, which - despite its explanations in-universe for why it happens - still suffered from two enemies becoming lovers-at-first-smolder.

This book leaves the fairytale in the desert, and soars off into the sky.

This book is phenomenal in how real and heartbreaking it is: The fatigue of towing the grey moral line in war-time; the strength it takes just to survive, nevermind imagine great or openly rebel; the importance of culture and familiarity, friendships and small kindnesses, when you're a refugee; how suffering abuse can cause a victim to turn inward, and further harm or blame themselves, instead of standing up to the true culprit; the masks we wear to project strength and last another day... This book is emotionally raw, and genuine to its characters' psychologies and hardships. It is beautiful in how devastating it is; being magical does not spare these heroes from suffering, enduring, and growing. And romance is not the answer for how to build one's self-worth.

Trigger warnings, most definitely. But a flawless book which only leaves me hungry to see where the series goes next.