Seraphina was an absolutely beautiful novel, and I have been waiting as patiently as I could for the sequel since I finished the first novel. I was lucky enough to secure a digital ARC of Shadow Scale from Random House and net galley, and my patience ran out. I know this review is early. I know. I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait (I mean, just look at the gorgeous cover!). And then I had to get thoughts down. The wait is over for all on March 10th. 
 Shadow Scale follows Seraphina on her quest to seek out the other inhabitants of her mind garden, with the hope that they will help in the dragon war. Her main obstacle manifests in one of the inhabitants she'd locked away. Soon Seraphina is battling for her world, her friends, and her own mind. And she's separated from her friends, family, and home. 
 I'll admit I was a little nervous when I realized a journey was at the heart of this book. When I think journeys and dragons I just have these awful flashbacks to the third Eragon book, and all of those pages just to get a damn sword. Good news, Seraphina does not acquire a sword on her trip. A guy gives her a dagger, and she doesn't even keep it. So we're safe on that front. 
 If you're looking for big battles this is not your book. The pacing of the book is slow in that everything connects and builds together for Seraphina. However, we do not have to wade through pages upon pages of the gang on the road. That is not this book. Things are constantly moving forward. There is constantly dramatic action. It's just might take a slight expectation adjustment in terms of pacing and tone. This is at its heart about Seraphina, and Seraphina coming into her own. The villain of the piece is terrifying not in that it is a villain that can destroy worlds, but rather a villain that can eradicate all sense of self. 
 Now if I could just get a whole novel, or even a novella, of Seraphina, Kiggs, and Glisselda just hanging out that would be great. Because I love them all, and I was sad about how little they were together over the course of the book. Although, absence does make the heart grow fonder so I was even more excited when they were together. These are just great characters. Although at times I did question the number of inhabitants in Seraphina's garden. It was a lot. And I only really connected to about half of them in that I got a sense of them as individuals at all. Their number created a broader scope. But I would have been okay with focusing more intently on a smaller number as well. Although, at the end of the day, the book is about Seraphina's journey to find them, and how they impact her, rather than about those characters themselves. But, at the same time, Seraphina's journey is just as much about letting people in as anything. 
 Also yes, there are some squee-worthy romantic moments, but like the predecessor the romance never steals the spotlight.