*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I think this is a really strong sequel and a really fascinating world that Saara El-Arifi has created. I love that this sequel expands out on the world and the connections that were being made, and the lore is really interesting and makes me want to immediately pick up the finale. I love the addition of the new points of view, and I liked that we got to see more of Hassa. Also, bonus points for having a recap of the first book at the start of this one and for writing it in a way that made sense to the world.

That being said, I struggled through the middle of this book. As a whole, I think the pacing is really uneven. When it’s interesting, it’s really interesting but in the slow periods I struggle to stay focused and take care about what’s happening. I think if you struggled through the first book, this is still worth picking up because of the way it expands the world, but some of the issues I had that first book still exist here.