A pretty standard middle book affair, for better and worse. Another semi cliffhanger ending and big battle, character work being slower than the first instalment, and less plot beats, overall.

I can see why people enjoy this series but for me it hasn’t gripped me all that much. I only have these first two books as well, so I don’t know when/if I will finish it.

It’s better than standard fantasy. The villain is more complicated to a degree and the world feels a bit different, more Norse. It’s just not enough to put it up to exceeding my expectations as a rating, since the dialogue and major plot beats feel really standard, and I don’t particularly care about battles and what not, and have no large attachment to any one character.