This was even better than The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It fills in some of the time between the books gradually, much like the first book filled in the backstory for the world. This had a lot more action, which I think worked better for me, too. I found this book to be gripping, while I found Hundred Thousand Kingdoms to still be compelling from the characterization and narration. This book took those qualities and added more suspense and more magic on-screen. I also enjoyed some of the stylistic changes, especially the chapter titles. Oree's being an artist was reflected perfectly in each of the titles describing a potential painting appropriate for the contents.