This book definitely wasn't as exciting and engaging as the first book was. There was too much fluff and not enough action. When there was action, however, I really enjoyed it. I loved reading about the relationship between Elizabeth and John. It's very strained and tentative, so it was interesting, although I have to admit I didn't like John as much in this one. I loved Schuler, such an interesting character and I loved his interactions with Elizabeth. Overall, it was a decent conclusion to this duology and I like the series as a whole, but this book alone wasn't as good as the first.