I’ll be honest, when I first picked this up, I put it back down. I read a few books before deciding to pick it back up. I didn’t like how jarring it felt to go from Elspeth’s POV to a larger cast of characters with short chapters. Given how book 1 ended, obviously I didn’t expect Elspeth’s POV only, but I wished the chapters were longer to settle into the story before it ripped me away to focus on something else. It was a bit much to go from one character to the next rapidly. 

I say this because it’s worth it (getting used to the perspectives). The effort paid off because I really enjoyed the way the story came to a close and how it all happened. I don’t know that I would have been quite so invested in it all had I not gotten more perspectives since some characters went to find the Twin Alders and some stayed behind. 

If you’re struggling like I was, keep reading! 

I very much enjoyed this sequel and the duology overall and highly recommend it. It would make for a great TV show because it had a lot of mystery and was very visual.