Elisa is queen, but it's harder than she expected, especially since so few of her advisors see her as the true queen (and treat her accordingly). When the Inviernos threaten her city again, she embarks on a quest to find the greatest power in the world and take it for herself--but is that what she really wants? Especially if it means losing friends and loved ones? And what does it really mean to be queen? 
 I adored this book just as much as the first one, and for many of the same reasons. Elisa isn't perfect; she doesn't quite know how to do this ruling thing, and she's still a bit self-conscious and not very assertive, but she learns. And she makes mistakes. And she learns some more. And she tries not to make the same mistakes. And she figures out what needs to happen for her to be a good queen, and she does it. 
 I also (again) appreciated Carson's handling of Elisa's weight. Sure, she's not obese anymore, and her newfound confidence has helped with her eating disorder, but she still likes her food. Which means she's a bit pudgy--which makes sense, given her history. But while she's a bit self-conscious about it, she doesn't hate herself for it anymore, which is great. It's another way the character has grown through these two books. 
 The ending blew me away. It was spot-on wonderful. I'm very much looking forward to the third book (and all the novellas).