As much as I loved the first book, I hate to admit this but this one didn't really cut it for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked reading it quite a lot, and I admire the whole book and the author for such a splendid story and characters and all the plots and surprises, not to mention angst, that was present but I just thought it was too much politics and problems going around that annoyed me. I get that they were in a "war" and that the emperor was an evil cunning man with plans that no one really knows what he's thinking or what he's planning on doing next, and that Kestrel and Arin and Verex, and the rest of the country were all just pieces in his game. 
 But on the other hand, it was nice not have it be just about the romance, like The Winner's Curse was. In this one, there was a lot that was going on with the politics and the state of the country. The plots and twists and surprises were a great surprise to me as I read along, and I definitely kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen next, especially with what evil deed the emperor would have up his sleeve. Kestrel really had to make some hard decisions in this one, and she had to plot and maneuver herself around court while still being somewhat loyal to her people and Arin at the same time. To me it seemed like she matured from that pampered princess life she had and hardened herself to be able to cope with the complexity of everything going on around her. 
 What really filled me with angst was the whole deal with Kestrel and Arin hurting each other like that. Of course, they couldn't exactly be honest with each other because of several factors in the book, and it made my heart ache every time Kestrel had to lie to protect him and he believed every bad thing about her. It made me sad that they were hurting and couldn't be together! Because of her deal with the emperor and her need to keep him safe, it seemed like their love just wasn't meant to be at all, but despite everything that happened, they still kept coming back to each other, in a manner of speaking. This book really pushed the limits of Kestrel and the relationship between them, because it wasn't just about their romance anymore, it was about something bigger than the both them- they had the other people's lives at stakes in their hands. 
 I will say this though, the ending was pure torture. I found myself yelling at my book and almost crying because of the ending. My heart definitely broke in two for Kestrel and Arin, especially since they don't know what happened with the other person. They're in the dark, and I just know the third book will be hard to read. The emotions might just kill me in anticipation for it to come out in 2016.... Here's hoping for a sooner release and for a happy ending for Kestrel and Arin, 'cause God knows they deserve it after all they've gone (and will go) through.