I really wanted to love this as much as book one, but the conclusion was just okay for me. A lot of the fire and intensity from the first book is really only present in the first half here…after that, it loses some steam. The shift into middle ground politics felt pretty abrupt. While it made sense for the story, I wish more groundwork had been laid in book one to make it feel more natural. Same goes for the whole concept of Wisdom—it plays a big role here, and I think a bit more world-building around it earlier on would’ve made this book stronger. Overall, it was fine, just not as strong or memorable as the first.