People who were pleased with book 1, the Justice of Kings, seem to be happy with book 2, The Tyranny of Faith.
However, to me as my starting place, book 2 felt like a middle book in the trilogy: a plot without a strong beginning or a firm ending. I think this kind of dry narration and wandering focus is part of the appeal of this series. It lends a reality and weight to the account, as if it's in a 1800's style.

In the very beginning, I was intrigued. However, as the book went from political side quest to and fro, I grew bored. The detached style of the narration and the passivity of our narrator didn't help.

The ending, I admit, was much faster paced than the beginning. The plot twists us farther and deeper into dark magicks, and the result is powerful and heart-wrenching. The farther into the annals of this book I got, the dread and anxiety-ridden politics twisted ever more. I, personally, felt that it wasn't worth the boring first half.

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for a copy to review. All opinions are my own.