I just jumped into this book - I did not read book one (but now I'd like to.) 

I think this a refreshingly unique take in the YA dystopia genre - it made me think of a few elements from other YA dystopia/utopia books I've enjoyed -  but they were spun together in new and interesting ways that made it stand out. 

Despite not reading book one, I felt interested and connected to the main protagonist Arela, without knowing the back story in depth - there are some helpful reintroductions of key characters and their previous roles. That said, I would recommend you read book one - while it's easy to pick up some of the story in the beginning, it becomes a bit harder near the end.

I thought the world building was great. Characters were all complex, flawed, humans, with no one coming out perfect or righteous (though some are much worse than others!) I liked that there was character development and increasing self and social awareness, it's peppered with some interesting side stories, with some mysteries revealed and some mysteries still left to unravel. 

Looking forward book three!  Thank you to netgalley for this review copy.